So much has changed in the past four-to-five weeks that it’s hard to keep track of it all. No doubt, by this point, many processes, contact guidelines, and work environments have changed at your bank or credit union. Riding the rollercoaster of the Coronavirus crisis has not been a picnic for anyone due to the constant change and updates happening.
As we at MarketMatch have helped our clients navigate this uncharted territory, there has been a host of themes and trends that have emerged. A main concern we consistently hear is how to manage contact with customers and members. Whereas there are normally several mediums and channels for a person to contact their financial institution, all of which with appropriate staffing, the Coronavirus crisis has narrowed those options and overflowed workloads.
Now, more than ever, financials need to embrace automated engagement tools as much as possible. Not only do these tools help with by giving people a sense of welcoming and engagement, but they are also able to circumvent easily answered questions that consumers have, without having to pick up the phone or send an email.
Chatbots are a fine example of how an automated tool can take excess workloads away from contact centers and branch staff.
With the Coronavirus crisis, we have watched as banks and credit unions across the country have shuttered branch lobbies, changed and/or cut hours of operation, pushed electronic services, and asked non-operational staff to work from home. While all of these changes and information has been communicated across multiple channels to customers and members, there are still those that will not get the communications. Even those who do may have more questions.
This is where chatbots are able to help pick up some of the slack. Based on automated, pre-programmed responses and logic, chatbots help answer questions and direct your site visitors to the right place to find information. Plus, they are easy to adjust and change questions and responses as information changes in a crisis situation.
MarketMatch has been on the forefront of developing digital marketing for our clients in the financial industry. We are proud to be able to offer chatbots as part of our DigitalIQ Marketing Automation platform to further assist our clients during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Of course, chatbots have functionality beyond crisis situations, as the use of these tools has increased by well over 100% in the past 18 months. As we emerge from a crisis environment, chatbots can be used to help your bank or credit union grow and provide useful information on your website.
To get an idea of how chatbots work, feel free to interact with ours in the bottom right hand corner!