Abstract
Low interest rates and sluggish economic growth are not exactly ideal conditions for the financial services industry. Almost daily we are confronted with reports of inadequate capital bases, declining earnings, and layoffs at banks. But while many traditional retail banks are struggling with a business downturn, the direct bank market is enjoying steady and respectable growth despite a challenging environment. Dr. Schmidberger, Fully Authorized Representative at ING-DiBa Germany, offers us a glimpse behind the curtains of this direct bank. We will learn how data technology is used so that bank customers are (more) satisfied.