Bankwest says it has boosted both customer satisfaction and the retention rates of its customer service representatives following the rollout of LivePerson’s LiveEngage platform for messaging.
The service allows a customer to engage in conversations with Bankwest staff either through the bank’s app or via its website.
Conversation history is synced across the web and app, allowing a customer to begin a conversation on one platform and then resume it on another.
“A chat function is fairly common now in customer services, but ours is the first in Australian banking which works across devices and platforms,” said the bank’s executive general manager customer experience, Andrew Chanmugam.
“The messaging all takes place safely and securely within the app, meaning there’s no need for ID verification, other than when you log-in to the app.
“Thanks to the system working across the devices, you can start a conversation on one device — such as your home computer or laptop — and continue it when you log-in via your smart phone or tablet while you’re on the way to work.
The bank said it saw seen a 9 per cent jump in customer satisfaction after it rolled out web messaging and expects an additional boost after enabling in-app messaging.
“Thanks to a huge customer-focused team effort we now have 24/7 coverage across all of our channels – phone, social media and messaging – and this new cross platform messaging facility is the icing on the cake,” said Bankwest head of contact centre Max Clarke.
The support for in-app messaging follows the announcement last month by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia subsidiary that it would significantly scale back its physical presence on the east coast, closing 29 branches. Bankwest said the decision reflected the increasing use by its customers of digital channels, particularly mobile banking.
“Many people still value face-to-face interactions, but customers increasingly expect seamless self-service options that allow them to do their banking when and where they choose,” Bankwest managing director, Rowan Munchenberg, said at the time.
“We’re seeing a consistent trend of customers choosing mobile banking over in-branch options for their transaction needs, with an 88 per cent rise in app logins over the past three years.
“So, we’re transforming our organisation to respond more rapidly to these changing customer needs by adopting new ways of working and embracing new technologies.”