Banca Sai is the bank that has been set up for the SAI agent and promoter network, with the purpose of creating customer-loyalty and new business opportunities within a clientele including over four million people. Banca Sai’s objective is to approach its clientele in a position that is halfway between the traditional or “counter” bank (whereof it offers the completeness of services, the capillarity of the distribution network and the personality of the relationship, where the agent and/or promoter represents a regular point of reference) and the pure “online” bank (whereof it grants the service channels, Call Centre plus the Internet, and a really attractive pricing).
Banca Sai is the result of an important partnership between Sai and Société Générale, who respectively own 70 and 30% of its capital, with the willingness to concentrate, within their operating scope, the strengths of both partners: Sai’s distribution force, thanks to the reliability of the client relation management on the part of the network, and the absolutely excellent know-how contributed by Société Générale Group.
Banca Sai offers a whole range of current accounts, designed to meet the various client behavioural styles, in order to offer each client, in a simple and direct manner, the account that best suits his/her specific requirements.
A cost-free account is dedicated to those who are particularly sensitive about the costs associated with the management of the current account; an account offering a high interest rate is dedicated to those who are chiefly sensitive about the remuneration of uninvested capital; and three fee-accounts with a rising accessory service level are dedicated to those who are particularly careful in making use of any facility related to the current account at a fixed a predetermined cost. Each product includes cash dispensing service, credit cards and chequebook. Banca Sai aims at identifying in the agent-promoter network one of its chief strengths. Indeed, as mentioned above, the personalisation of the relation is regarded to be a key element of success.
The Call Centre and the Internet are service channels meant for the network and the clientele. They have information purposes for potential clients and instruction purposes for acquired clients. There is no antagonism among channels, but integration between the distribution and service stages. The purpose is to combine the value of the “physical” network and the benefits associated with remote banking tools, the Internet and the Call Centre.
The SAI network is made up of approximately 900 agencies and 1400 agents. The overall number of financial promoters is today just below one thousand. Over 50% of these are also insurance agents. In a reality that is so broad and diversified, we find, and feel that room can be made, both for professionals with a long and well-established experience, and for qualified but younger collaborators. Work within the agency structure facilitates a more rapid portfolio expansion, and the existence of a well-known and prestigious name certainly supports a more prompt and effective action.
Based on existing plans, as from mid October all network agents and promoters have been granted the operating ability to set up bank current accounts and, at the same time, a busy training programme organised by our area managers has been started off. Previously, an uninterrupted series of meetings involving our network had been held for product technical training purposes. The bank’s objective is the opening of twelve thousand current accounts by the end of the first year of activity “at full rate”, that is by the end of next year.

r.p. (trad.Interpres-Giussano)