The migration of Citi Handlowy’s retail clients to VeloBank has turned into a public relations nightmare. Technical failures on the first day and persistent problems with services are pushing a significant number of customers to consider leaving. The bank’s long-term growth strategy now hangs in the balance.
One of the largest and most complex migration processes on the Polish banking market began with a crash. On the very first day after the transfer, systems froze, many clients could not log into internet banking or the mobile app, some faced data verification issues, and reaching the helpline was nearly impossible. These initial problems did not disappear overnight. In subsequent days, clients reported missing credit card history, incorrect crediting of deposits, non‑functional services such as Google Pay, miscalculated fees, and difficulties accessing account statements and certain investment products.
Technical issues overshadow the migration
The scale of the glitches has created a large pool of dissatisfied customers. According to reports from „Rzeczpospolita”, complaints and declarations of leaving VeloBank are increasingly appearing on social media. The newspaper notes that the group of clients unhappy with the forced transfer may be quite substantial, and some have already decided or are considering switching banks. The problems have not only affected everyday banking but also more complex products, which for many affluent customers were a key reason for staying with Citi Handlowy in the first place.
– The group of clients dissatisfied with the forced transfer to VeloBank may be quite large, and some have already decided to leave or are considering it – czytamy w „Rzeczpospolitej”. The article adds that complaints and declarations of leaving are increasingly visible on social media.
Reputational risk and strategic implications
For VeloBank, the fallout goes beyond losing a portion of the acquired client base. The bank took over Citi Handlowy’s retail division specifically to increase its scale, strengthen the affluent and private banking segments, and win high‑value customers. Now that very reputation is under threat. – Such client reactions mean a risk of losing trust in VeloBank and a possible outflow of customers. For the bank, this is not only a reputational problem but also a strategic one – commented „Rzeczpospolita”. The bank must now work aggressively to rebuild confidence and demonstrate that the technical issues have been resolved, or risk seeing the very clients it hoped to win walk away for good.
VeloBank has acknowledged the problems and promised improvements, but the damage to its image may take longer to repair than the technical fixes. The coming months will show whether the bank can retain the loyalty of its new, demanding clientele or whether the migration becomes a cautionary tale in Polish banking history.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Fotokon / Shutterstock
