Quality Perception of Gen Z Consumer on Traditional Banking Services

Abstract

In developing countries, digital banking has been introduced and, although it has grown tremendously, it still coexists with traditional banking, with branch service. The objective of this study is to explore the elements in the quality perception of Generation Z that makes them prefer traditional banking to digital banking in the context of a developing country, Mexico. The study of quality perception is implemented through the application of the SERVQUAL model with 22 items. There were applied 394 online surveys to users of traditional or digital banking from generation Z. Qualitative content analysis is used to understand the customer's quality perception of traditional banking, in which the variables considered were: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, which were evaluated through a 7-point Likert-type satisfaction survey (1 = Completely disagree, 7 = Completely agree). In this study, it was identified that the responsiveness variable which considers the attitudinal aspects of the branch staff and communication with the staff in traditional banking services, is the one that has the greatest impact on generation Z consumers, regardless of their socioeconomic status, and therefore, explaining the preference for traditional banking services over digital ones. In addition, from favoring traditional services, Generation Z users have evolved from a product perspective to a service perspective, where the aspects of tangibility and reliability take the background, giving greater relevance to responsiveness, assurance, and empathy which are focused on the employeeconsumer internment. This study offers a strategic starting point that will facilitate the banking sector to plan the development of strategies that stimulate the migration of banking services to digital banking services.