Customer-centricity in the financial service sector 

By Winnie Kyalo, LGT Impact Fellow for 4G Capital, Kenya

As part of the LGT Impact Fellowship, I have been working as a product manager at 4G Capital for 9 months now. My career journey to this point has included a lot of key
transitions and detours. I studied Psychology in university and worked as a youth
counselor for some time. After a while, I transitioned to the technology field to become a software developer, scrum master and now a product manager. So what does a product manager do exactly? A product manager helps solve business problems using technology.
4G Capital is a fintech company with a focus on funding SMEs (Small and Medium
Enterprises) in Kenya with capital and knowledge. The initiatives put in place to ensure
we accomplish this is by providing financial assistance as well as customer training on
a regular basis. Although Kenya’s economy is the largest and most developed in eastern and Central Africa, 16.1% (2023/2024) of its population lives below the international poverty line. 4G Capital has centered its whole business model on the impact on the customer’s business. The initiatives put in place are geared towards poverty eradication by propelling business growth for SMEs.
My day-to-day includes a lot of interaction with the business team, technology team and customers. The end-user of the softwares we build varies. Some of our products are for our customers and some are for the business teams. I have been learning how crucial it is to have the customers in mind when creating products or building software.
Customer-centricity is a business strategy that’s based on putting your customer first and at the core of your business in order to provide a positive experience and build long-term relationships.
In the financial services sector, it is crucial to prioritise meeting customer needs and
expectations. This is done by tailoring services to fit the customer needs, improving
user experiences, and fostering strong relationships. This approach not only attracts
and retains customers but also leads to valuable feedback, driving innovation and
adaptability in a rapidly changing industry. Customer service week should not be the
only time we focus on our customers but it should be a constant for all of us.
Being a product manager and an LGT Impact Fellow at 4G Capital is all about impacting the customers who use our platforms to facilitate customer development and growth. I am constantly in awe of our customers’ success stories and the impact our loans have had in their businesses. In addition to that, I am eternally grateful for the LGT Impact Fellowship kick-off workshop as I got to interact with different brilliant minds doing great work in their different organizations. Although our roles are vastly different, I keep picking up tips from my fellow cohort members especially on stakeholder management.

It’s a consistent learning experience and as challenging as it is sometimes, I am enjoying the process.

Can’t wait to see what the next four months and or hopefully more, look like.