ECRM and customers: a case of Askari Commercial Bank, Pakistan

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to observe and analyze current banking practices in Pakistan, regarding the electronic customer relationship management system (ECRM). The aim is to explore the variables in relation to operational problems that may occur with banks that use ECRM and the customer's perception of the usage of e‐banking. Design/methodology/approach – The research design is divided into two sections using both qualitative as well as quantitative methods to represent the results. The first section explores the variables related to the operational problems with e‐banking while the second section discusses the variables related to the customer's perception of the usage of e‐banking systems. Descriptive statistics are used to define the demographic variables while correlation is used to describe the operational problems. Cross case analysis is used to present the customer perception of e‐banking practices. In total, 40 staff members and four customers are selected as samples for this study. SPSS was used for data analysis. Results – Data analysis shows that customers are not ready to adopt new technologies, which results in a low level of satisfaction with e‐banking. Internet speeds and government policies are also not supportive of e‐banking in Pakistan. Owing to a lack of trust in technology and a low computer literacy rate, customers hesitate to adopt new technology. On the other hand, internet rates are too high and provided speed is in Kb/s. Practical implications – The results of this study will provide some ideas and practical suggestions, which can be implemented, particularly with E‐banking in order to improve its continuance (i.e. customer satisfaction strategies as an effective means of maintaining the subscriber base, market share and the overall revenue of online banking). Originality/value – The paper delineates the importance of understanding e‐banking in Pakistan and the reasons why more customers avoid using electronic banking.