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The investment intends to introduce a number of customer service improvements, including the use of biometric voice tech and enhanced self-service capabilities.
Bank of Ireland has announced a plan to invest €34m into improving its customer service capabilities. The investment, which was announced today (29 April), will primarily affect the bank’s telephony and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
Some projected improvements include faster resolution of customer calls, enhanced self-service options such as requesting a bank statement or new card, improved customer security, and the allowance of more transactions via phone on a 24/7 basis.
This latest investment follows two previous funding initiatives implemented by Bank of Ireland since the start the year, including a €60m investment in January to improve a range of branch services such as ATMs and a €50m investment in February focusing on customer fraud prevention and protection.
Some specific applications of the new investment include the provision of what Bank of Ireland refers to as a “quick single view” of customer data to 2,800 of its employees, with the intention of resolving calls at a faster rate.
According to Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland CEO Susan Russell, this initiative will allow a customer service representative to access a customer’s data “at the touch of a button” without needing to contact another section of the bank.
Other notable applications include the use of voice biometric technology to improve customer authentication and reduce call waiting times, more streamlined phone-based transactions and the removal of complex menus.
Commenting on the latest investment, Russell said that this is the “largest single investment in enhanced systems and technology for our frontline colleagues” that the bank has ever made.
“We receive more than 11,000 calls on average each day and when customers call us, they want speed, expertise and security,” she said.
“This investment will make things faster and better for customers and for colleagues, it’s a win-win.”
At the beginning of April, Bank of Ireland suffered a brief outage that caused many of its customers to lose access to online banking services, including mobile and web banking.
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