simplicity 34.14 replaces the approximately 200 existing call numbers
The headquarters of the Banque de France in Paris. — A. GELEBART/20 MINUTES
The Banque de France has launched a single telephone number and a communication campaign to make financially vulnerable people better aware of the skills it can provide “to help them” when inflation puts pressure on the household budget. The 34.14, which replaces the approximately 200 existing call numbers, aims to “provide more readability and simplicity to join our services, and efficiency; in handling questions from the public,” said the French central bank, which receives more than a million calls each year.
To publicize this new number, in place since the end of October at the cost of a local call (not surcharged), the institution is launching an advertising campaign. to the explicit hook: advisers are “there” to help you”. “People who speak to we are individuals who encounter a difficulty; of a banking order,” recalls the Director of Individuals at the Banque de France, Mark Béguery, either “to have a bank account and means of payment”, or “because” ;they are stuck for payment incidents,” either because they “can’t fail to to face; their debts.
🆕 Plus lisible, plus simple, plus efficace : le 3414, c’est le numéro unique pour joindre la Banque de France.
📞 Nos conseillers répondent à 1,2 million d’appels par an pour renseigner et accompagner les particuliers et les entreprises.
En savoir plus ⤵️— Banque de France (@banquedefrance)
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40 % of calls concern over-indebtedness
The new single telephone number, accessible Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 p.m., registers in addition to the other channels available to contact the Banque de France: at counters throughout France, by post or on its website. A “good thing” for the delegate union of the CGT Banque de France Hugo Coldebœuf, if it does not result in a degradation of the efficiency; of public service. “In fact, you have less and less specific answers to your questions. your question,” he laments, since “standardization” of calls implies a “removal” between the person taking the call and the case manager.
With the persistence of inflation in France (6.2% over one year in October, according to INSEE), the Banque de France wants to be very vigilant to with regard to over-indebtedness. Nearly 40% of incoming calls concern this subject. However, the institution has not noticed an increase in the number of filings of over-indebtedness files. The total in 2022 should be around 115,000, less than in 2021 (around 121,000).
Trompe-l’œil
But trade unions and associations denounce a false observation because the Banque de France is becoming rarer in the regions, with a number of permanent counters divided; by two since 2010 (i.e. more than 200 in 2010 against 105 today) and therefore fewer files registered. The difference was only only partially replaced by around sixty reception and information offices, with more restricted opening days and hours. The Banque de France is also trying in eight departments to join the France services network, places that bring together several public services (taxes, post office, Pôle emploi…).
In October, the French Association of Financial Companies (ASF) alerted on the capacity from individuals to; repay their loans to; consumption, which was also up 9.2% year-on-year in the third quarter. “For about two weeks, we have been starting to have a clear increase in the number of referrals to associations,” explains the jurist of the Crésus Pauline Dujardin federation, which brings together associations fighting against over-indebtedness. She also points out that there may be a delay between the time when the the difficulties appear and the one where people are asking for help, thus causing a lag effect in the published figures.
“We hear everything the social workers tell us (…) and their concern for some households about the impact of rising energy and food prices on the coming months. come,” notes Mark Béguery. Still, “there are challenges that don’t translate into banking problems,” he said.