Westpac Targets Performance of Branch Sales Force

May 11, 2005
Australian Financial Review

Following are excerpts taken from the May 11, 2005 edition of Australian Financial Review.

Westpac has hired Texas consulting firm Carreker Corp in an attempt to lift the productivity of its branch sales force.

Westpac is switching to Carreker from another training firm, Achieve Global, after becoming dissatisfied with the slow pace of mortgage lending growth.

Head of business and consumer banking Mike Pratt said the bank rated the productivity of its branch sales force as "middle of the pack".

"We are not the worst in productivity. What I have seen of some of our major bank colleagues, we would be in the middle of the pack," he said.

Carreker started work for Westpac two months ago and will focus on areas such as lifting the quality of initial customer interviews and home loan applications submitted for approval.

St George Bank has previously used technology supplied by Carreker to improve customer service.