Even at the World’s First Facebook Bank Branch, an ‘Ugh’ Experience
A visit to the world’s first Facebook bank branch starts with a video greeting, as well as a chance to win a prize just for chatting with the bank’s representative. There’s a discussion forum at the “branch,” and even hours: 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week.
And then there are the ugh moments at ASB Bank Ltd’s Facebook branch. I couldn’t access the chat function or view the “wall,” which lists all the activities that have taken place on that Facebook page. And when I used another person’s account and computer to try to explore the branch, ASB, one of New Zealand’s largest banks (its online retail venture is called BankDirect), required Facebook user account information just to start the dialogue. That made no sense. I don’t know ASB and ASB doesn’t know me, but if I want to learn about ASB, I need to let the bank “access my basic information, [which] includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information I’ve shared with everyone”? Now, that is the default information a Facebook app will capture when a user pings the app, but still.
I’ve written that Facebook offers at least one future of retail banking, but the experience of visiting arguably the world’s first Facebook bank — and well after its launch last September, so it has had time to work out the kinks — was nothing short of disappointing.
A visit to the world’s first Facebook bank branch starts with a video greeting, as well as a chance to win a prize just for chatting with the bank’s representative. There’s a discussion forum at the “branch,” and even hours: 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week.
And then there are the ugh moments at ASB Bank Ltd’s Facebook branch. I couldn’t access the chat function or view the “wall,” which lists all the activities that have taken place on that Facebook page. And when I used another person’s account and computer to try to explore the branch, ASB, one of New Zealand’s largest banks (its online retail venture is called BankDirect), required Facebook user account information just to start the dialogue. That made no sense. I don’t know ASB and ASB doesn’t know me, but if I want to learn about ASB, I need to let the bank “access my basic information, [which] includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information I’ve shared with everyone”? Now, that is the default information a Facebook app will capture when a user pings the app, but still.
I’ve written that Facebook offers at least one future of retail banking, but the experience of visiting arguably the world’s first Facebook bank — and well after its launch last September, so it has had time to work out the kinks — was nothing short of disappointing.
