Cecile Botden
Even small changes to our services have a big impact
Whether by working on biscuits, mobile internet services or day-to-day banking for 8 million consumers, Cecile likes to immerse herself in the customer experience: “Where’s the stumbling block and how can we solve it? I find that really energising.
“I learnt a lot in my first job as a product manager for biscuits, but it wasn’t until I joined T-Mobile as a marketing manager that I discovered the true power of online and how you can make a difference at various stages of the customer lifecycle. I was very happy working at T-Mobile, but when I got chatting to someone from ING at an informal gathering I became excited by all the opportunities here.”
Faith in capabilities
“I started at ING as a Customer Journey Expert (CJE) on the team responsible for credit cards, payment requests and mobile payments. A month later the Product Owner went on maternity leave and I was asked to take on her role. Even though I had only just started, the management and my own team had faith in me. For me, that underlined ING’s focus on people and their capabilities.”
Small change, big impact
“After going on maternity leave, I returned as Product Owner in a team for Personal Banking, which later merged with Private Banking. I worked on some great initiatives there, but I realised that my heart really lies with online banking for consumers. We’ve already made really good progress in terms of digitising our services and we’re still improving them all the time. Even small changes can have a big impact due to the sheer number of customers we work for.”
Making digital banking simpler and more convenient
“I’m currently working in the strategy team for the digitisation of daily banking for consumers. We make it easier for them to manage a growing number of their banking matters online themselves. We gather customer data from various sources such as data analysis, surveys, customer panels and interviews with community organisations (such as libraries) to gain insight into the pain points. This helps us to further optimise our services, such as by adding new functionality, making process improvements or adapting the way we communicate.”
Uncovering – and solving – the real problem
“There’s nothing more energising than identifying the real problem behind a customer’s question, uncovering the pain points and then working with the team to come up with solutions. I get a real kick out of it when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and we achieve real solutions together. Our work requires analytical skills, a broad view based on different interests and perspectives, natural curiosity as well as stakeholder management and persuasion skills. Plus you mustn’t be afraid of taking ownership of the problem and the solution.”
Inspiration
“Conversations with customers are one big source of inspiration and ideas for me, and so too are ING’s own Customer Experience sessions. I share the inspiration I gain with other colleagues in my role as CX/Innovation Coach, which I do alongside my work as a CJE. I am committed to further embedding the customer experience in our culture. It has to become a way of working for everyone, even for those employees who aren’t directly involved in customer contact.”
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About Cecile
Cecile did a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in marketing management at Erasmus University. Before joining ING, she worked at Continental Bakeries and T-Mobile. She plays tennis, loves going skiing and hiking in the mountains, and regularly combines going for a run with listening to podcasts about marketing and customer experience. Cecile also enjoys checking out new coffee bars and restaurants. She lives with her boyfriend and two children.