In Focus Collections
I&E but I could complete an accurate I&E at my leisure, and remit it securely via my computer. We need to be aware that first time or younger consumers, to the financial sector, are far more comfortable using – and expect to be offered – these technologies.
VH: I think that you can take self-service two ways: you can get the statistics that you need there and then without having to pick the telephone up, so you can be multi-tasking yourself and still see the information that you want to see. If you want to delve a bit deeper, you can pick up the telephone and have a conversation, having absorbed that data.
DC: Again, in collections there is this aspect that it is ‘faceless’. Going back to the idea that some customers are frightened, they do not want to speak to anyone, they want to self-serve. So, for me, it is a big area. But self-serve needs to be flexible as well. I have seen systems where the customer ‘self- serves’ and a pop-up says ‘you must call the office on this number’ – what is the point of doing that? It means that immediately you switch them off and they will rarely call.
GP: I think that web chat comes in here as a way of supporting the self-serve process, it can be very helpful as long as it is not too invasive and popping up all the time.
AA: Over the last six months, we have implemented our digital debt-advice process. This was to help encourage consumers who needed debt advice, but who were put off engaging when the telephone was their only way of doing this. We instantly saw over 65% of consumers choosing to select this option, e-mail being the preferred communication channel for them to select. To support this, we launched our assisted self-help online
Going back to the idea that some customers are frightened, they do not want to speak to anyone, they want to self-serve
affordability tool, which allows us and the customer to communicate in live chat and also gives us the ability to oversee remotely how clients are completing the tool, which has helped reduce customer disengagement throughout the debt-advice process. In total, 63% are using their mobile phone to complete Planfinder and, when we send people out the link to start the journey, about 78% complete it so there is a real customer commitment to complete the process.
NA: As part of our policies and procedures, we also provide borrowers with a business advisory service. This provides an owner with face-to-face financial advice from a qualified adviser. It has proven to be very successful. The aim is not to penalise the borrower, but provide them with a free service to help them manage their financial affairs and ultimately improve the customer experience.
AR: The key trend that we are seeing in terms of digital-engagement models, is that there are so many different models out there, but the ones that we see win are where it has to be interactive. Make that conversation interactive. How many of us have received an e-mail that says ‘please do not reply’? Whatever channel you choose to use, it needs to be that two-way conversation. You need to remove friction as much as possible.
What role do chatbots and robo- advice play in the industry? FH: Some websites will have a chatbot interacting with you and all it does is to repeat the FAQs that you have already read – it does not answer your question!
DC:We are developing chatbots so, as an example, when you are web chatting and you feel you are chatting to an individual, you are probably not, you are chatting to a computer that is predetermining what you are going to say next, based on what you have said or asked already. We have developed them to undertake the first DPA checks, but you do need to get that right so that the customer perception is that they are speaking to a real person, and there is a point at which you field the chatbot to a live agent. You are removing the labour- intensive groundwork that you do not need a person for.
JO: You need to be able to persuade the consumer that interacting with a chatbot is going to benefit them. If you say ‘you have this option of checking where your delivery is, and it is the courier’s chatbot or you can call up and wait in the queue’, then the benefit is clear.
MH: It is very much like in customer service where, as soon as you feel that the person you are talking to cannot help you, then you want to speak to their manager. As soon as the customer does not feel that the chatbot can help them, then there is a disconnect.
JM:We are back to the fact the customer journey is key in everything we do. The customers need to feel valued and their experience has to be a good one. CCR
Left-right: Martin Wicks; Michael Hoare; Negeen Arasteh; John Preston; Victoria Herd December 2017
www.CCRMagazine.co.uk 35
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