First Bank is moving to a new cloud-based system, and it’s happening soon. From October 26 to November 3, they’re going to be in the middle of this transition, and if you’re one of their 42 million customers, you might want to prepare a little. The bank says this is all to improve efficiency and service, but let’s break down what that really means for us.
During this migration period, a lot of things are going to be on hold. First Bank has specifically mentioned that the current Electronic Banking Suite will not be available. This means if you're trying to submit invoices or do any sort of payment processing via that platform, good luck — it’s not happening. They’re also suspending access to the current supplier portal until November 4.
I know I’m not the only one who remembers when another bank did something similar earlier this year and it was a mess. People are already voicing their concerns on social media about possible service disruptions.
First Bank seems aware that there might be some unhappy customers during this transition, so they’ve promised to keep everyone updated. They’re even advising us to do some prep work before the cut-over date: like making sure all your transactions are squared away and maybe adjusting your account positions if necessary.
If you’re as active as I am with my online banking, you might want to consider doing everything you need now — just in case.
It’s actually pretty interesting how digital marketing comes into play here. First Bank could use various platforms — think social media channels and even email — to give real-time updates about the situation. If done correctly, it could actually minimize customer frustration.
The key will be in how they handle communication: acknowledging issues transparently goes a long way in maintaining trust.
So there you have it: First Bank is upgrading (or at least that's what they're calling it), and we might have to deal with some inconveniences as a result. If you're smart about it and maybe adjust your banking habits for the next week or so, hopefully it'll be a smooth ride come November 4 when everything's supposed to be back up and running.
