Response to the COVID-19 pandemic created a customer service crisis in banking: Branches were closed, call centers were jammed, and websites were overwhelmed with traffic. That meant that FIs could not easily meet the enormous volume of customer service requests. The failure of the customer service status quo and the specific demands precipitated by the crisis, though, led some FIs to quickly innovate through their digital channels. These innovations offer lessons for quickly engaging customers, retaining those recently introduced to digital, and instilling digital-first habits likely to last beyond the pandemic.

Key questions discussed in this report:

• Has digital channel adoption increased or stagnated during COVID-19?
• How have FIs educated customers about COVID-19 digital help and resources?
• What long-term digital lessons can banks take from the crisis?
• What additional digital changes should FIs prioritize to better serve customers?
• What must banks do now to turn digital skeptics into devotees?