Agent banking as a relationship marketing tool by banks in Bangladesh

Abstract: With growing number of adult people not owning a bank account,efforts are being made to bring banking services to the unbanked populations.Relationships marketing plays a crucial role in  establishing and sustaining beneficial relationship in the banking industry. This study sought to explore the link between agent banking and relationship marketing through an exploratory qualitative approach.The findings show that agent banking as a fairly new phenomenon relies on the integration of different functions within the bank with a strong emphasis on the role of technology,processes and personnel to delivder services that can be acceptable to the customers so as to create long lasting beneficial relationships. Through semi-structured interviews with employees of 6 banks that offer agent banking in Bangladesh,this study contributes a key reflection document on implemenation of agent banking for other banks that intend to start offering agent banking services in Bangladesh.