Never Trust Leader Relocations Service for an International Move from Dubai

Leader Relocations (Leader Pack) Review

So this is how you feel when your relocation services company messes up.

Photo by carvalho on Flickr

I had booked Leaders relocations to transport our personal goods from Dubai to Sydney in June 2015.

Several delays, loss of goods, and broken items may be a regular story for many international shipping companies. However, I was amazed to find that this shipping company has no control of the carton's when they are up for inspection at the custom's authority and if a box is lost, these people just put their hand's up saying what can we do. 

Here is the story

After several follow ups with the company on the delay of the shipment, I came to know that the ship had sailed few weeks later than the due date (June 2015), however we were never informed about the delay. The ship arrived later than the scheduled time as there was some delay while transiting.

We got all our goods in Sep 2015 except 1 carton which had 2 ovens and a quilt and some misc items

After investigation by the Leaders Team and their partners in Sydney it was found that the carton was never loaded from Dubai itself and was lost somewhere. The insurance company had rejected my claim as it is not more than the min fee of USD 250.

I had several exchanges with the company and below is a response from a senior consultant for the missing box: - 

Leaders Relocation's Dubai based consultant responded - "In regards to loading and shipping of your shipment/ packages, I am not sure how you came across the information that it was not loaded at our end. I am attaching the loading sheet from the day of loading in the container which clearly outlines what was loaded. However in regards to the box going missing, there are multiple places that container examination takes place where a box can be easily misplaced - During UAE Customs Exam, Australia Port Customs Exam and during the AQIS exam at the Australian Warehouse. There is no way of knowing where the box could have gone missing to be honest."

So if there is no way the company can know where the box is why are they in the business of movers and removals?

My response was as follows, "I had trusted Leaders Relocation company to carry our goods and deliver them. If the goods are held in customs does your contract say that you won't be responsible to locate them? The agent here in Australia informed me that they never got that box and it may have never reached Australia. Insurance is just an easy way for Leaders to shift responsibility to the customer. I agree that your compensation  is so low that it would not even buy a one time meal"

The Leaders Relocation person comes back with the most weird answer: - 

In regards to customs, it’s a bonded facility and our employees are not allowed inside Dubai Customs facility once we drop off the container for shipping. This is where the inspection takes place and at random packages can be removed and x-rayed and later stuffed back in the container. It’s possible that the box went missing here but by the time we get notification, 1-2 months have passed and it’s impossible to recover the item from customs as we have no influence there. It’s also possible that the box went missing at Australia Customs/ AQIS Exam. There is simply no way of knowing to be honest."

So there was no moral obligation of the company to compensate us, however they were happy to take the money upfront from us. 

I would never recommend such a company who doesn't own the problem and keep shifting it on other authorities.

Have you had a terrible experience with a mover, please feel free to comment. 

A List of New Year's Eve Dubai Events 2016

The Atlantis Royal Gala - The Most Exclusive New Year's Eve Party In Dubai

This Year's New Year's Eve Royal Gala held on the Atlantis Beach is going to be a celebration to rival all others. Book here

The evening begins at 7:30pm with canapes, champagne and welcome drinks in Asateer before the venue opens up at 8pm where a 30 piece live band kicks off the night's entertainment and plays through until 3:00am. The Bar will be open all night serving unlimited premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including free flowing champagne.

On the menu is a luxury buffet serving everything from Lobster and Caviar through to Shawarmas and Fajitas, there will also be live cooking stations as well as children friendly buffet stations.

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT Fairmont 

The last day of the year deserves the best of food, friends and family. Make it one to remember by joining us for a night of celebrations – from lavish buffet dinners, magical live performances, exquisite set menus and extravagant after-parties with views of the iconic Dubai fireworks, we have set the stage for the perfect welcome to 2016. Click here to book.

Mahec

NYE celebrations can go on till the wee hours of the morning and Mahec offers you a VIP five-star dinner/early breakfast celebration like no other. With Bollywood beats of DJ Sucorro, indulge in authentic Indian cuisine and house beverages. Dance through the night in a grand 2016 welcome.

Location Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre Cost Dh1,999 (inclusive of premium drinks) Dh1299 (inclusive of regular drinks)Timings 7.30 pm to 5am Contact +971 4 702 2455

Fazaris, The Address Downtown Dubai

Experience a lavish dinner buffet created especially for the occasion while you enjoy the sounds of the live band welcoming in the New Year.

Time: 6pm-1am

Price: Dhs1,400 inside including soft drinks, Dhs1,700 inside including house drinks, Dhs2,000 terrace including house drinks

Contact: 04 436 8799, www.theaddress.com

Buddha-Bar, Grosvenor House Dubai

This New Year’s Eve, Buddha-Bar will welcome the world famous house music legend and Ibiza resident DJ Camilo Franco. Usually found on the decks at the renowned Ibiza super club, Space, Camilo Franco will be flying in for a special appearance to captivate Dubai with his innovative tech house and EDM creations.

Time: 8pm-3am

Price: Dhs1,900 including a four-course set menu and unlimited selected premium drinks, Dhs1,600 including unlimited selected premium drinks and Buddha-Bar bites, for guests above 21 only

Contact: 04 317 6000, buddhabar-dubai.com

Neos, The Address Downtown Dubai

Welcome 2015 at Neos with an extravagant New Year’s Eve party! Create memorable experiences as you look out at the stunning city views and shimmering fireworks, while the DJ plays a fusion of the freshest beats.

Time: 6pm-2.30am

Price: Dhs350, Dhs1,500 including drinks, for guests aged 21 and over only

Contact: 04 436 8799, www.theaddress.com

Blue Marlin Ibiza New Year’s Eve Party with Luciano and Davide Squillace

The region’s first beach club, restaurant and lifestyle oasis have announced a stellar line-up for the final party of 2015. Legendary DJs Luciano and Davide Squillace will welcome Spirit Odyssey to bring in 2016 in a magical night under the stars. Expect an exclusive celebration with fairy-tale-like performances and surprises throughout the night.

Time: 7pm

Price: Dhs650 for men, Dhs500 for women, Dhs1,350 for dinner

Contact: 056 113 3400, dubai.platinumlist.net

Peppermint Experience with David Guetta, Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

The biggest dance pop star in the world is coming to Dubai to welcome 2016 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre for the ultimate New Year’s Eve party.

Time: 8pm-3am

Price: Dhs495 regular section, Dhs750 VIP stand

Contact: 050 357 1113, peppermint-experience.com

Zero Gravity New Year's Eve Party with Pete Tong and Duke Dumont

After last year’s huge NYE success, Zero Gravity has selected the perfect pair of globally- demanded DJs to look back at the past, look forward to the future and ensure thousands of Dubai’s party people are dancing under a sky filled with fireworks. House music royalty Pete Tong and a DJ on the road to super-stardom, Duke Dumont, will be joined by a host of local acts and entertainment for an unforgettable night. 

Time: 5pm-3am

Price: Dhs250 early bird, Dhs390 regular, Dhs450 on the door, Dhs490 VIP including access to VIP platform

Contact: 04 399 0009, platinumlist.net

New Year’s Eve Party, Dusit Thani Dubai

Witness Burj Khalifa’s fireworks burst into Dubai’s night sky on the 24th floor of the nearby Dusit Thani while indulging in a luxurious International fare and a connoisseur selection of drinks.

Time: 7:30pm-12:30am

Price: Dhs3,800 table for four including one complimentary bottle of bubbly, Dhs 5,700 table for six including two complimentary bottles of bubbly, Dhs7,400 table for eight including two complimentary bottles of bubbly. Prices are inclusive of unlimited house drinks. Dhs450 for kids six-12

Contact: 04 317 4515, dusit.com/dusitthani-dubai

Ballroom, Sofitel Dubai Downtown

Hotel guests will be able to party the night away to the sounds of a live band with belly dancers, a DJ and an unforgettable solo saxophonist. An array of delectable international festive foods will be on offer at the buffet along with an open bar serving house brands. The evening rounds off with access to the pool deck where you can watch the awe-inspiring fireworks.

Time: 8.30pm-3am

Price: Dhs900 per person, Dhs450 kids six-12, Dhs250 for kids if a chair is required, no charge for kids in strollers

Contact: 04-503 6111, sofitel-dubai-downtown.com

80s Flashback, ikandy ultralounge, Shangri-La

Turn back time to the Eighties at Shangri-La where chart-topping UK DJs Brandon Bloch and Tall Paul will be spinning the decks until the early hours. Ring in the New Year under the stars with a picture-perfect view of the Burj Khalifa and the astounding New Year fireworks.

Time: 8pm-3am

Price: Dhs1,395 including sofa seating, international buffet, house drinks and two glasses of bubbly, Dhs695 including an international buffet, house drinks and two glasses of bubbly.

Contact: 04 405 2703, shangri-la.com/dubai

SHL Psychometric Tests For Sale

I had bought the online SHL Tests for a job interview for AUD 140 from JobTestPrep as a working professional. I am now selling these for half the price to anyone who wants to practice. The tests are explained in detailed and helped me pass the SHL exam (Psychometric tests)

Click here for details - http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/harris-park/textbooks/shl-tests-job-test-prep-psychometric-tests/1081443779 

What do you get?

109 aptitude tests in total, 2400 questions!

47 numerical tests + 7 Numerical Drills

21 verbal tests + 4 verbal comprehension tests

12 deductive tests

21 logical tests (inductive + abstract)

8 diagrammatic reasoning + diagramming tests

12 video tutorials + 8 study guides

Detailed explanations | solving tips | smart score reports

Hailstorm Blankets Parts of UAE - Check Out The Photographs

Parts of UAE experienced hail storm.

Some of the areas in Abu Dhabi assumed a white picturesqueness. Check out below few beautiful pics.

The Three Santa Claus Brothers In Dubai

The Three Santa Claus Brothers In Dubai.

Unified Communication can improve productivity of your employees

Collaboration can help improve performance and make more efficient use of company

resources, but organizations need technological solutions to facilitate teamwork in the modern enterprise environment. Business doesn’t happen face to face as often as some would like. Instead, today’s communication depends on conference calls and emails chains that make it challenging to get to know your partners.

At my office emails are definitely one of the many ways employees communicate with each other. Email has been one of the oldest forms of communication used in the corporate environment. 

According to Radicati group,In 2009, the typical corporate user sends and receives about 167 messages daily. Organizations wishing to store all these messages need to allocate a little over 20 MB of storage space per user per day. The average corporate worker spends a quarter of his/her work day on various email-related tasks, which is a waste of time 

A new generation of communications technologies are upon us. They are addressing the new way to work that is permeating workplaces worldwide.

Use of Instant messaging has been increasing over the years in the office. IM has several advantages. It’s real-time. It’s richer than email. And it lets users easily switch to even richer mediums, such as voice or video over the Internet. 

Video conferencing has focused on its ability to decrease travel costs and is certainly used in my office. 

At my workstation in the office - my fav place - helps me stay connected with the world -… http://t.co/I6Q0U6QRxB
— Kapil Bhatia (@Kapilkb) November 5, 2014

Mobile technology - The better the technology becomes the more employers embrace the bring your own device (BYOD) to work philosophy, the more deeply connected workers become to their workplaces, which exist on the same devices as their social networks and family photos.

Check out a video from Fujitsu showing break through in human centric workplaces.




Unified communication increases workplace productivity and that brings an increase in workplace delight. Now wouldn't you like to have such an environment in your office? 

Want to know how you can improve your staff productivity by adopting unified communication?

Visit: http://workplace.global.fujitsu.com/Unified-Communications #masteryourbiz #FujitsuInsiders

Fujitsu M532 - A Review

The Fujitsu STYLISTIC M532 is the newest tablet from Fujitsu which offers great processing capabilities and even more. Fujitsu has been truly a business technology innovator. Some of the features listed in the Datasheet that make the device outstanding for me include :-

• OS – Android 4.0

• Supported capacity RAM 1 GB

• Weight 560 g

• Camera Front camera 2.0 megapixel, back camera 8.0 megapixel with autofocus and flash

• VDI – Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (very important feature for corporate companies looking to cut down IT cost)

• Runtime 1st battery video playback 9.5 h

• Multitasking: the quad core Cortex A9 CPU can support all applications and social networks at same time.

• The 10.1-inch multi-touch capacitive touchscreen with 1280 x 800 resolution device can be docked and extended by connecting it with HDMI to an external monitor. A key board and a mouse can make this device work like a light workstation and make wonder with Quad-Core 1.4 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

• Web conference: with front 2mpix camera and lots of connectivity options such UMTS and WIFI.

The two vital elements in the Web 2.0 world for a new gadget are mobility and connectivity. The STYLISTIC M532 is lightweight, slim and that turns into a mobile office on the go. You can access office emails via synchronized Microsoft Exchange, make presentations via the pre-installed software such as Office Suite, file editor and file viewer for documents and presentations.

Fujitsu Stylistic M532's excellent specs position it as a direct competitor to the ASUS Transformer Prime and the iPad 3. What makes this tablet stand out is the fact that Fujitsu clearly markets it as a business tablet.

Technology Innovations - My Timeline

A timeline depicting the introduction of tech innovations in my life from 1989-2011 



Mobile Payment Systems

The below article was published in @QatarToday Magazine - Feb 2012 issue.

The mobile network is evolving at a lightning speed and will thrive over coming years. Recently, introduction of mobile payment systems (MPS) has gained momentum and a greater attention from telecoms and financial institutions. Mobile phones are looked upon as an appropriate medium for supplementing existing payments and settlement procedures.

The cashless society is coming: American consumers now carry more than 750 million credit cards, while paper currency production continues to decline.

The phrase “mobile payment system” can apply to various mechanisms for initiating and accepting transactions using a mobile device.

According to Forrester Research MPS can be divided into two categories: -

• Payment systems that utilize a mobile network to initiate or authorize a transaction.

• Contactless systems that use a mobile phone in lieu of a traditional credit card.

In other words, mobile payment systems apply to: -

• How consumers pay for goods

• How merchants can process transactions.

Lets us look at some of the emerging mobile payment systems in the market that allow accepting credit card payments on mobile: -

Square

Started By – the San Francisco-based mobile technology firm is a startup from Jack Dorsey of Twitter fame.

How does this work - Square enables users to accept credit and debit purchases by swiping cards through a small dongle that plugs into their iPhone, iPad or Android audio jack. The startup has already released software for iPhone and Andriod devices.

Fees - Square charges a fee of 2.75 % on each swiped transaction, no contracts, monthly fees or hidden costs. Users who select to enter credit card numbers manually must pay 3.5 % and 15 cents per transaction. Service will only deposit up to $1,000 per week into the merchant’s account, the rest is deposited in 30 days.

GoPayment

Started By - It is a partnership between popular iPhone accessory maker Mophie and Intuit. Intuit is the company that provides business and financial management solutions and the creator of QuickBooks, Quicken and TurboTax.

How does this work - the pocket-size GoPayment reader plugs into the audio jack of any supported smart phone or tablet and supports the iOS Android and BlackBerry operating systems. Users can swipe cards or manually enter card data. GoPayment processes and authorizes payments in seconds, and funds are then immediately deposited into the merchant’s business bank account. Its 4 million QuickBooks users can sync GoPayment transactions with the most recent versions of QuickBooks for PC and Mac

Fees – Merchants who process less than $1000 a month need to pay 2.7% rate to swiped transactions and a 3.7% rate to manual transactions. A high-volume option, priced at $12.95 a month charges a 1.7 % fee on swiped transactions and 2.7% on manual entries

There are a few more payment systems like Pay Anywhere and Verifone’s PAYware Mobile, which work on a similar mechanism of attaching a card reader to your mobile.

Contactless Payment Technology called Near Field Communication (NFC) enables mobile payments by tapping your phone on the payment machine.

Google Wallet is an app that uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to make secure paments by tapping the phone on any PayPass-enabled terminal. Google Wallet being an app can store credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift card. Mobile phones will automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points when a customer taps the phone on a terminal.

In the Middle East region, NFC mobile payments have already been introduced in UAE following a collaboration agreement between Etisalat, MasterCard and Research in Motion. People can pay for their purchase of cinema tickets, and in the future metro tickets, just by tapping their phone at a payment terminal. Nokia has also introduced the NFC enabled phones in UAE for the users.

As with introduction of a new technology, there are security concerns that need to be addressed prior to its commercialization. Merchants that use a personal mobile device as part of accepting payments from customers may not have direct control on the security of the environment in which the device is used. Some merchants feel this is the most convenient way of receiving payments, while some customers feel this is very insecure; any merchant can attach a customized scanning device on their mobile to collect the card info.

London 2012 Olympics will be the first global event where mobile payment systems using NFC will be on display. It could take years before many other merchants adopt this payment mechanism and customers start getting comfortable to use it. You never know next time paying at the local grocery store or buying a coffee with a smart phone may be a regular thing.

Hong Kong - Financial Services Industry Info-graphic Stats - 2004 - 2010

Interactive Info-graphic of the Financial Service Industry for Hong Kong. Please see the details for the categories as follows: -

• Banking - Licensed Bank, Restricted Banks, Deposit Taking companies, Local Representative Offices
• Insurance - General Insurers, Life Insurers, Insurance Agents/Brokers
• Other Financial Services Industry - Investment and holding companies, Stock and share companies, Asset Management Companies, Financial Leasing Credit Granting companies etc.

Powered by Tableau

Adobe Fotoshop Positioned as a Beauty Product

Jesse Rosten pokes fun at beauty product ads.


Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Global Online Google Search Trends - Visa, Mastercard and American Express

Below is an infographic depicting the search trends for Visa, MasterCard and American Express from 2007-2011 for 33 countries. I have used Google Trends to collect the for data last 5 years. You can sort the data by Country or by Year. The key words used in the analysis are 'visa' 'mastercard' and 'amercian express' in the Financial Services Category.

According to Google - The data reflects how many searches have been done for a particular term, relative to the total number of searches done on Google over time. They don't represent absolute search volume numbers, because the data is normalized and presented on a scale from 0-100.

Powered by Tableau

Following is the list of countries covered in the above analysis - Australia Austria Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Netherlands Poland Russian Federation Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United States Argentina Belgium Indonesia Denmark Egypt Hong Kong United Arab Emirates South Africa Ireland Israel Singapore Saudi Arabia Turkey New Zealand Portugal

I am a Bank and I am Boring

The below article was published in Qatar Today magazine- Jan 2012 issue. The article is about how can banks manage customer relationships online without just talking about banking and being innovative. Click on the below pics to continue reading.

"Text Version" 

 I am a Bank; Iam Boring

Financial Institutions are perceived to be not innovative and creative when it comes to Online Media and technology. Due to certain regulations and reputation issues, they have been a step behind other industries to make their presence felt online.

Let us explore few ideas that can help you gain foothold in the Online Conversations and interact with your customers.

I recently attended a panel discussion, where a question was raised on how to deal with customer issues raised on your social media channels. Panelists were convinced on the methodology of trying to contact the customer to get details of the problem and acknowledge the issue. Post understanding the issue, commit on resolving the same.

What if your bank’s customer service still gets criticized online even though you have taken efforts to engage with your customers online? Well, then you have to investigate the case and invest in enhancing your customer service. Online media is just another channel to communicate with your customer.

A few more ideas: -

Don’t just talk about banking

If you expect to build a relationship with your customer, you need to talk about various other topics that can build a conversation on social networking sites. If a customer needs to know about your products and offers, they can always go to your public website.

You can use Social Media tools to change the mean and greedy perception of Financial Institutions.

Check out Lloyds Bank Facebook Page. They are talking about the upcoming London Olympics with a countdown ticker. This has got nothing to do with banking. These initiatives create friendly online conversation and interaction that may not be facilitated by a bank otherwise.

Be a Startup Mentor

Have you ever thought about nourishing the potential young talent to form large enterprises? How about offering some advice on launching a start up? A bank has the financial capability and the expertise to mentor start ups. Use your online channels to give tips to people interested in learning more about the enterprise world. Your investment banking arm may probably fund the next Google or Apple.

Show you CSR initiatives.

Have you done something for the community, how about informing people via your Social Media Channels? Do you want volunteers for a CSR initiative, ask for it on your Social Media Channels and watch the response. Check out the Bank of America Page, asking for people who would like to volunteer for their “Building Opportunity” initiative.

Many financial institutions are involved in charity initiatives that go unnoticed. Their projects are not covered in the media and an average customer is not aware about these initiatives. Social Networks are great online tools to tell your customers about these projects and strengthen your brand.

Giveaways for your Online Fans

Customers love participating in competitions. This initiative encourages them to follow your brand online. Host a few competitions for your Social Media Channel Fans. Check out the Citi Bank Facebook page. They are giving an opportunity for their fans to win cash or jam with their favorite band.

How about offering your online fans a $ discount or a coupon to dine at their favorite restaurant.

I wanted to get a feel on what do people expect from their banks in Doha on Social Media Channels. Following is a summarized version of various comments I got from people on Twitter in Doha.

People expect their bank to be more interactive and provide online support for issues. They want instant answers to their queries and special offers for following/liking the brand. Many twitteratis complained that the banks never responded to their queries. Surprisingly, few of them replied that they were not interested in having a conversation with their bank on social networks, as banks are only meant to manage their money, not their relationship. There lies an opportunity for the banks to show that they can manage human relationships and just not financial ones.

Online surveillance of social-networking sites is a new trend for traders dealing in hedge funds and big banks managing customer assets. Stocktwits is a social, stock micro-blogging service monitoring emotions of stock market traders. You will find a community of traders and investors sharing market insight, ideas, charts and news streaming in real-time. This is true engagement of Financial Marketing with Online Media. An investment company, Derwent Capital Markets, has launched a £25 million hedge fund that will use the sentiment of Twitter messages to help guide its trading strategy

As we look forward to 2012, Financial Institution will continue to heavily invest in the Social Media and Interactive Marketing, and work on the revenues.

There is a strong possibility of structural changes in many organizations, where by Digital Channels, e-Marketing and e-Business will fall under one umbrella.

Timelapse of traffic in Downtown Dubai - Happy New Year

Wish you all a Happy New Year. Hope things go really well for every one in the coming 366 days. Check out the below video by Gerald Donovan depicting time lapse of traffic in Down Town Dubai at the New Year's eve. Fireworks at 1:28:00.


Timelapse of traffic in Downtown Dubai on New Year's Eve (close-up 2) from Gerald Donovan on Vimeo.

Google Search Trends for Banks in Singapore - 2011

A known fact - people in need of Financial Services flock to the Internet to conduct their preliminary research. A largely ignored fact - Online Sentiments determine the demand and supply in the 'offline' world and online research helps the customers make their purchase decisions. An excellent example of Sentiment Analysis is how Google's Search Index trends along with the UAE's housing pricing index to show fall in online searches when the property bubble burst. Search engines are one of the most popular ways for people to conduct their research for financial products. Google being one of the most popular search engines is able to give data on customer's online behavior and their search habits. 

I have used few queries to determine the Google search habits of people in Singapore. The below analysis is on Google using 'Rising Searches' and 'Top Searches' for Financial Services Industry in Singapore. According to Google "Rising searches highlight searches that have experienced significant growth in a given time period, with respect to the preceding time period" and "Top searches refers to search terms with the most significant level of interest."

The below data could be used in planning your online acquisitions, positioning your products/channels online, competitor analysis, understanding customer behavior etc.

Banking

The 2011 searches for the "Banking" category shows that, people are actively searching for POSB iBanking. POSB was acquired by DBS bank in 1998, however they continue to serve the customers. POSB branches fall at the 3^rd place in the Top searches for banking. HDFC quick remit, a free online remittance service, seems to be very popular in Singapore, as it appears on 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th rank. OCBC, CITI and DBS internet banking channel also appear in the top 10 list of searched keywords. OCBC branch keyword appears at number 10.

Insight – POSB bank customers are very loyal, as they continue to use the brand services/channels, thanks to its wide spread network and low cost offerings. It is interesting to see people searching for bank branches on Google, showing potential to understand why they are interested to know branch locations. Alternatively, they could be migrated to other cost effective channels.

Cards

In the Cards search category I have queried the 'Top Searches' for Credit Cards category to derive the results in the chart. Standard Chartered card is a clear leader in keyword search.
Standard Chartered’s Manhattan Card is a popular search on Google. CITI bank is another MNC bank that appears in the top 10 list. UOB and OCBC are the only regional banks that make it in the top 10.

I also did an analysis on what are 'Rising Searches' for cards on Google in the Credit Cards Category during 2011. Regional bank, OCBC and Standard Chartered are on the top of the list. May Bank and UOB are the other banks that make it in the list.

Insight – MNC Bank card searches are quite popular. Regional banks may need to step up efforts for their online presence

 

Auto Finance

Cars in Singapore are a luxury. However there are many financing option available in the market. Probably this data can be useful to banks to position their online campaigns. I have queried the Auto Finance category to arrive at the results. The most common terms used on Google search are 'lease' and 'leasing'. People are also looking to Car Loan Calculator in the online search.

Insight – Bank’s should offer calculators on their Public Websites to give customers an idea on financing details.

Home Finance

Loan Calculators also searched on Google, which shows that banks need to invest in having easy to use calculators on their public websites. This could help in acquiring new customers.'

Property prices in Singapore are high; however government has always intervened to provide affordable housing. Keywords like ‘loan’, ‘home loan’, ‘mortgages’ are popular amongst users. ‘HDB Loan’- is part of a government scheme to provide affordable housing. The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is Singapore's public housing authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development.

Insurance 

Insurance is one of the hottest Businesses at present; thanks to all the uncertainness in the world. I have used the 'Top Searches' category for the below analysis. NTUC Insurance seems to be the most searched on Google followed by Aviva and AIA insurance. Car and Life insurance fall at 8^th and 8^th rank respectively. I am not able to see any specific search for health insurance, my hunch on this would be probably, insurance brands are more popular searches than the type of insurance.

Insight – Travel insurance is the most popular search on Google in Singapore.

Online Banking

Online Banking has been growing in popularity in Financial Services Sector and the channel remains popular among customers to conduct their banking transactions. I have queried 'online banking' and 'internet banking' keywords in the 'Banking' category to determine these results. In the 'internet banking' keyword category UOB clearly takes the lead in the most searched keyword for online banking followed by OCBC. POSB and DBS also make it in the top 10 list.

In the 'online banking' keyword category the results are strikingly different. DBS takes the lead for the most searched keyword followed by its own brand POSB. CITI Bank is the only MNC to make it in the top 10 search category. OCBC and UOB also manage to appear in the top 10 keyword search list.

It is important to understand how a bank has positioned itself on internet for various keywords. Some banks are able to leverage on the keyword 'internet banking' while other top the list of 'online banking'.

An analysis on the interest level in both terms shows that ' Internet banking' is a clear leader in terms of online search.

In Spirit of Christmas

Santa gets the iPhone - 

Merry Christmas

Google Search Trends for Banks in UAE - 2011

A known fact - people in need of Financial Services flock to the Internet to conduct their preliminary research. A largely ignored fact - Online Sentiments determine the demand and supply in the 'offline' world and online research helps the customers make their purchase decisions. An excellent example of Sentiment Analysis is; how Google Index trends along with the UAE's housing pricing index to show fall in online searches when the property bubble burst. Search engines are one of the most popular ways for people to conduct their research for financial products. Google being one of the most popular search engines is able to give data on customer's online behavior and their search habits.

I have used few queries to determine the Google search habits of people in UAE. The below analysis is on Google using 'Rising Searches' and 'Top Searches' for Financial Services Industry in UAE. According to Google "Rising searches highlight searches that have experienced significant growth in a given time period, with respect to the preceding time period" and "Top searches refers to search terms with the most significant level of interest." The below data could be used in planning your online acquisitions, positioning your products/channels online, competitor analysis, understanding customer behavior etc.  

Banking

The 2011 searches for the "Banking" category shows that, people are keen to know about the recently introduced "iban" payment system. "Rakbank Online" seems to be a very popular followed by 'emiratesnbd'. HSBC and Emirate NBD's online banking also fall in the top 10 searched keywords. Overall Emirate NBD the largest bank by assets in Middle East, seems to attract lot of searches on Google. IFSC code is another payment system used by the banks in India.

Cards

The search criteria were to use the keyword 'Card' in the Credit Cards category to derive the results in the chart. 'Prepaidcard' is the most searched term in this category. Interestingly, First Gulf Bank card seems to be popular search term among the online users. Emirate NBD is also listed in the top 10 category. NBAD is listed in the top 3 as a preferred search term in the credit card category.

I also did an analysis on what were the Top most searches for cards on Google in the Credit Cards Category during 2011. 

Visa Card makes an entry in this category. "Prepaidcard" keyword is no. 1 in the rising searches category. To connect the dots, probably Visa Prepaid Card was something people may be searching for. HSBC, Mashreq and ADCB also have made it into the top 10 keyword search list.

Auto Finance

There has been a sudden spike in Auto Finance online ads in UAE. Probably this data can be useful to banks to position their online campaigns. The most common terms used on google search are 'lease' and 'leasing'. Availability of second hand cars and steady fall in the price pf popular cards in the region would make the auto-financing a hot proposition.

Home Finance

Post crash of the property market in UAE, there has been several inaccurate predictions with the real estate pundits on how the market will perform in the near future. For the banking industry there lies an opportunity to encourage borrowing. I have used 'home loan' and 'mortgage' as keywords in the Home Financing category to arrive at these results. 

(زايد للإسكان) Zayed Housing Scheme is the top keyword searched on google in UAE.  It is a housing scheme run by the government of UAE to help nationals buy/build a home by granting them loans. 'ADCBloan' is a popular keyword searched online. Calculators also are very popular search, which shows that banks need to invest in having easy to use calculators on their public websites.

Insurance

Insurance is one of the hottest Businesses at present; thanks to all the uncertainness in the world. I have used the 'Top Searches' category for the below analysis. 'LifeInsurance', rank's 2nd in the search list followed by 'healthinsurance' and 'carinsurance'. Medical and Travel insurance fall at 7th and 8th most searched keywords respectively. AXA  and RSA are the only two companies that fall in the top 10 keywords list.

Online Banking

Online Banking usage in UAE has significantly grown and the channel remains popular among customers for conducting their banking transactions. I have queried 'online banking' and 'internet banking' keywords in the 'Banking' category to determine these results. In the 'internet banking' keyword category HSBC clearly takes the lead in the most searched keyword for online banking followed by Emirate NBD. Interestingly two bank, Axis (Indian Bank) and BDO (Philippines Bank) also turn up in the top 10 list.

In the 'online banking' keyword category the results are strikingly different. NBD takes the lead for the most searched keyword followed by Standard Chartered. Mashreq and ADCB are the other two banks who appear in this search.
It is important to understand how a bank has positioned itself on internet for various keywords. Some banks are able to leverage on the keyword 'internet banking' while other top the list of 'online banking'.