By Rahul Kumar, GM & Vice President, Financial Services and Insurance at Talkdesk.
The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation that spans far beyond just the use of new technologies. An increasingly influential driver is a radical shift in customer expectation and this cannot be ignored.
Today’s customers demand more than just transactional service. Going back a few years, banks were simply seen as a place to access money. However, in 2025 this has all changed. Modern consumers expect experiences that are fast, intuitive, helpful, and human. They want financial tools that reduce stress, solve problems, and feel like they were made for them.
This new era isn’t about institutions pushing the latest innovations, it’s about listening deeply to what people need and building services that deliver real satisfaction.
Meeting customers where they are
Today’s customers aren’t looking to just “bank”, they’re looking to accomplish things effortlessly. They want financial tools that work in the background, understand their needs and support their lives without adding complexity. That’s why the most meaningful innovations are those that remove barriers and reduce friction.
With embedded finance, rather than requiring customers to jump between apps or decipher complex processes, financial services now show up naturally in the moments people need them, like splitting payments at checkout, rounding up spare change through a ride-sharing app, or purchasing travel insurance directly while booking a flight. These experiences are fluid, intuitive, and invisible, turning what used to be tedious steps into seamless actions.
For many, especially those in underserved or remote areas, this shift doesn’t just save time but it opens doors. Embedded finance brings essential services to people who might otherwise be excluded, allowing them to engage, save, spend, and grow, without ever stepping into a bank.
Open banking enhances that experience even further. By giving people control over their own financial data, it unlocks personalised insights, smarter recommendations, and access to products that truly reflect their needs. Instead of feeling like they’re navigating in the dark, customers can now see the full picture, connecting accounts, comparing offers, and making confident choices in real time, increasing overall satisfaction.
The importance of personalisation
For many customers, the biggest frustration with traditional banking has been its one-size-fits-all approach. But, in a world of one-size-fits-none, personalisation is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. People expect services that understand them, anticipate their needs, and adapt in real time.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now delivering on that promise. Whether it’s a timely notification to avoid an overdraft, a recommendation to adjust spending, or tailored investment guidance, AI is making financial services feel smarter and more supportive. Customers are no longer passive recipients of generic offerings and they’re active participants in experiences that respond to who they are and what they value.
This level of personalisation improves satisfaction by solving real problems before they become pain points. Just as importantly, it builds emotional trust and when people feel understood, not just categorised, they’re more likely to stay, engage, and advocate.
And the support experience is evolving too. Instead of endless wait times and impersonal scripts, many institutions now offer chatbots, instant messaging, and proactive outreach. It’s support that only shows up when and where it’s needed, turning moments of confusion into moments of care.
Underpinning the evolution is a smarter approach to knowledge management. Tools like Talkdesk Knowledge Creator, an AI-driven platform designed specifically to enhance customer service, are identifying gaps in existing information and generating accurate, up-to-date content based on real world interactions. This ensures both human and virtual agents are always equipped with the right answers at the right time, enabling more personalised and meaningful support at scale.
The foundations of satisfaction
Trust has always been at the core of financial relationships, but how it’s earned has changed. Today, it’s built on transparency, security, and responsiveness – qualities customers expect as standard, not luxuries.
Blockchain, while largely invisible to customers, enhances all three. It reduces the risk of fraud, speeds up settlements, and offers more secure identity verification. Whilst these improvements may happen behind the scenes, they shape front-line customer feelings including peace of mind, confidence, and a sense of control. All of which are emotions that can strongly influence how people perceive and engage with their financial provider.
Cloud technology plays a critical role too. It enables faster updates, better performance, and cross-device access that meets customers wherever they are. More importantly, it allows financial institutions to respond quickly to customer feedback, launching improvements that feel fresh and relevant rather than outdated and rigid. It means features don’t just arrive faster but they arrive when customers actually need them.
Putting customers at the centre of long-term profitability
For financial institutions, profitability has long been the benchmark of success, but to sustain it, banks must now differentiate through the experiences they deliver. Customer expectations are evolving rapidly, and so are the ways banks can meet them. Competing effectively in this environment means being agile, data-driven, and deliberate about where and how to invest in experience.
True differentiation comes from deeply understanding customer segments and proactively delivering experiences that provide real value across their financial journeys, from how easily they manage their money, to the confidence they feel in their decisions, to the sense of support and trust they build over time.
It’s not about choosing between financial results and experience, it’s about using experience to fuel profitability in a measurable, strategic way.
Human-centric innovation
At the heart of this evolution is a renewed focus on empathy. Customers aren’t just account holders, they’re people with goals, pressures, and dreams.
Leading institutions are rising to meet this reality, not by adding features for features’ sake, but by rethinking how they serve. Onboarding is becoming easier and more human and dashboards now highlight goals instead of just balances. Tools are designed to guide, teach, and support, rather than confuse or overwhelm.
Even the support arm is evolving. What was once a frustrating maze of hold music and transfers is becoming a responsive, proactive system. Intelligent chat, live messaging, and timely outreach now ensure that help arrives in the moments people actually need it, turning stress into reassurance.
The relationship between customer and financial provider is no longer transactional. It’s becoming a partnership grounded in shared value and trust. This shift isn’t driven by the loudest tech or trendiest features. It’s powered by a deeper understanding of human needs.
The leaders of tomorrow will be those who can anticipate what people need before they ask, and who can design experiences that adapt, not demand adaptation.
