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As the competition for DIY investor attention stiffens, one online brokerage hopes to use customer experience to their advantage. We spoke with HSBC InvestDirect Vice President Attilio Montanari about how value, customer service, and fees are among the ever-important qualities for investors.
What can beginner investors expect from your firm?
HSBC InvestDirect is pleased to welcome beginner investors. When you become our new customer, the first thing you should expect is a warm welcome call from one of our highly trained Investment Representatives, with an offer to walk you through our trading platform and to answer any questions you may have. Beginner investors can expect a redesigned website to help them find what they are looking for with ease. They also have access to our demo videos that highlight trading site functionalities for different investment products.
What can active investors expect from your firm?
Active Trader investors are very important to HSBC InvestDirect. In addition to comprehensive market information, numerous analytical tools, and quick order execution features, we are also offering our Active Traders our best pricing of $4.88 per online North American equity trade and margin rates. To qualify3, you have to trade 150+ times every three months. As well, we continue to offer price incentives through various free trading campaigns for HSBC InvestDirect customers.
What online investing trends do you expect to matter to self-directed investors?
We realize self-directed investors are constantly looking for good value, a high level of customer service, high quality tools and resources, and a reliable platform with quick access to the markets. Given where the industry is going, we believe fees and commissions will be top of mind to investors and brokerages.
What does user experience mean at your firm?
User experience is extremely important to HSBC InvestDirect, and service is our top priority. We continually use customer feedback to optimize our customer journeys and accessibility to information, allowing our customers to manage their investments and trade effectively 24 hours/day, 6 days/week. Much of our focus and effort in the last 12-16 months has been around improving the overall customer experience, whether by phone or online.
What sets your firm apart from your peers?
HSBC is a leading international bank, and HSBC InvestDirect uses that international reach to set us apart from the pack. Our customers can expect:
This Q&A was featured in the Look Back / Look Ahead magazine.