Customer service technologies have been around for a while, but customer behavior has pushed customer service technology solutions to evolve. This has been especially impactful in the financial industry, where customers have become more comfortable with digital transactions. We examine this shift through the current trends and how market offerings are leveling up technology customer service.
Trends Around Customer Service Technology
Conversational AI & self-service
Automation and AI are leading the charge in customer service technology trends. Self-service is expected by most customers—70% according to one survey. Financial institutions (FIs) need to be sure that they provide this convenience or potentially lose customers. Younger generations are especially fond of 24/7 service, but everyone likes the fact that many answers can be provided immediately without any wait. AI-powered chatbots can fulfill routine requests and inquiries to satisfy this consumer expectation.
Modernized, AI-powered call centers
Call centers have existed since the 1960s, so it is no wonder that they need to continuously evolve. Today, the trend is to add AI to call centers, including digital and voice-enabled chatbots. Automation in the call center provides easy-to-find information for customers while creating staff efficiencies with streamlined workflows. Modernizing the call center is a must, as high call volumes demand more of call center staff than ever before.
Omnichannel platforms
Providing the ability for customers to choose their communication channel of choice from a variety of options has become a key priority for FIs. Digital interactions have risen in popularity tremendously since Covid and continue to increase, yet, phone remains one of the biggest volume channels for FIs. Having a mix of phone, chat, video, social, etc. within your customer service technology has allowed customers to dictate how they want to interact with their FIs. Providing a high level of service while managing the shift between various channels is how FIs will gain and retain customers for the long haul.
Personalization
Customers expect their FIs to know what they need when they need it. Customer information coupled with data analytics within a customer service platform enables personalization to keep visitors engaged and convert them more quickly. Leveraging this data, time-sensitive recommendations, proactive assistance, and customized offerings allow FIs to meet customer needs more effectively with greater results.
Video banking
According to Forbes research, 78% of Americans prefer to bank digitally, so it’s no wonder that video banking has caught on. Without entering a physical branch, customers can have a face-to-face interaction with a banker, adding a human touch and building trust. Video banking is especially important when digital banking customers need extra help in filling out loan applications or opening an account and need to verify their identity.
Finding the Right Solution to Successfully Address These Customer Service Technology Trends
With these trends, FIs need to find a customer service technology solution that embodies not only the ability to innovate but also the flexibility to fit their needs. Gone are the days when bolted-on solutions provide FIs with a solution to compete successfully. Customers expect one seamless interaction without friction. So, it is essential to find a customer service technology partner with a seamless customer service platform with pre-built integrations.
Integrated Responsible AI
Having AI layered into all interactions provides the best customer experience and elevates frontline productivity, leaving live service reps only with the more complex interactions. Weaving AI into the IVR phone experience, as well as digital interactions, contains many routine requests and provides consumers with 24/7 banking service. It is not enough to have a standalone chatbot and use Gen AI: It’s clear from several public examples that AI for FIs needs to be responsible, with security, reliability, explainability, and controls for the highest level of compliance.
On-premises to cloud call center migration
As legacy call center systems become too costly and cumbersome to maintain, FIs are moving call center solutions to the cloud. This may seem like a heavy-lift project, but it doesn’t need to be. With customer service technology that provides out-of-the-box call center integration, FIs can migrate more quickly for faster time to value. Using Responsible AI and coupling phone calls with a secure digital platform creates efficiencies, elevates the customer experience, and allows FIs to modernize their call centers safely and more effectively with fewer IT resources.
ChannelLess® architecture for streamlined interactions
With a customer service technology platform that embodies the ability to easily transition from one channel to another, customers can choose their preferred channel. This includes phone, chatbot, live chat, SMS, video, and more, easily upgrading or changing between channels when needed. Having a single, ChannelLess® platform provides the highest level of service for faster issue resolution and higher conversion rates. Using a single interaction platform allows FIs to efficiently manage customer needs in real time, elevating the level of service and customer experience, while decreasing the average rep handle time and customer wait time.
Technology with the human touch
Modernizing and updating technology with good intentions is one thing, but no organization wants to innovate at the expense of its customers. Creating human touch points along the customer journey is critical in maintaining and building the customer relationship. Using video and CoBrowsing to enhance the interaction, for instance, provides context and visual engagement for better understanding of more complicated matters. Having intelligent routing to get customers to the right person quickly, and business rules to show when visitors may need extra guidance, are more ways to add the human element to the customer service technology.
With Glia’s Unified Interaction Management (UIM) platform, FIs will find a comprehensive customer service technology solution, built from the ground up specifically for financial institutions and their customers. With Responsible AI layered throughout all interactions, UIM allows call centers to manage high call volumes and drive efficiency while easily transitioning to a live rep in real time when needed for personalized customer service. A single ChannelLess interaction platform removes silos and enables more efficient workflows and reporting, along with improved customer outcomes. UIM provides FIs with a customer service technology solution to future-proof their customer experience.
