Wimmer, Erste: Strategy backbone is attracting clients with salaries paid into BCR accounts

Boosting the number of clients receiving their salaries into accounts opened with BCR is the backbone of the retail strategy of the biggest bank on the market, states Manfred Wimmer, CFO of Erste, the Austrian group controlling the bank.
“Collecting the salary through the bank secures a long-term relationship with the respective client. The deposit interest policy is precisely intended to bolster the number of these clients as we have no interest in attracting hot money that should subsequently flee when another bank is offering more”.
At present, clients getting their salaries through BCR can get an 8% annual interest for time deposits, against a maximum 6.5% for usual clients. The same category of clients can have access to loans cheaper by 0.5% both for RON and euro against the standard offer.
The focus on clients that have a stable relationship with the bank will also be valid in the case of BCR’s leasing operations, says Wimmer.
As for the real estate projects the bank is involved in, Erste official says, “there is no market” at present.