Increasing a Bank’s Customer Engagement from the Contact Centre

Gracie Arnold of Enghouse Interactive explains how trust, communication and consistency are key to increasing a bank’s customer engagement. 

While each bank may offer different financial products that set them apart from other regional locations and mega-banks, the ability to create a personal and engaging customer experience can be even more competitive.

Trust, communication, timely feedback, and consistency are priceless tools when it comes to building customer confidence and forging brand loyalty. Customer-inspired institutions focus on the user experience (UX) for every product, service, and experience.

First and foremost, trust is everything. Trust in the financial products is what draws in new customers, but trust in communication keeps current customers happy. One of the easiest ways to build trust is to be available to customers at any time, day or night.

According to Sharpen, 70% of consumers say that their loyalty to a brand is influenced by their ability to get customer service at any time, any day. Accessibility – and effectiveness – of service and support teams to help customers solve their problems is a critical step for banks to demonstrate their authenticity.

Another important factor in building trust is security. In a technology-based world, protecting customer information and privacy should always be a priority. With extra security controls with communication software, modern call centres can quickly verify information and identify fraud like never before.

But security must be balanced with convenience for the customer. 72% of customers expect that the customer service representative already knows their history and contact information without having to ask.

Proper communication is the foundation of any successful business relationship. Offering ways to make interactions easy, whether in-person, by phone or through online channels, is where companies like Enghouse Interactive come in.

Emphasising the importance of being a good listener to employees ensures customers have an authentic experience, which is best achieved by being sincere and focused on customers’ needs.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of consistency when building and retaining a customer base. It is imperative to have the right leaders, metrics and accountability models in place to ensure the same experience is being delivered to your customers no matter who they deal with.

By being reliable and consistent, the trust is built to ensure a positive customer experience. By keeping the channels of communication open and accessible and encouraging and acting on feedback to enhance your customer’s experience, institutions can be consistent across the board.

Above all, setting a focus on providing an engaged and positive experience for each customer, every time, is the key to a bank’s success.