What did you do to get the answer?
For most, the process probably follows closely the actions of Corey Black, of Chickopee, Mass., who recently had a query about a high-interest yield savings account; Black said he had the option of either calling, emailing the branch or going to the bank to speak with somebody. But, with gas prices reaching record highs, driving might be out of the question for some in addition to getting a quick response.
“I generally get a response within 24 hours,” Black said.
While some banks and financial institutions might find this time frame reasonable, one New England bank has taken service to the next level by introducing instant messaging as a quick means of communicating with their customers.
“One thing we now sale to potential customers is the ability to make quick decisions and get quick answers to our client’s questions and concerns,” said Jay Tuli, vice president of business development for Massachusetts’ Leader Bank.
In 2006, Leader Bank decided to take its internal instant messaging capabilities to the public, opening branches and customers to a whole new level of communication. Using an existing enterprise IM featuring support for AOL Instant Messenger, Tuli and his team outfitted the company website with separate AIM widgets for each branch and announced clients could now utilize IM to speak with their respective bankers.
The results, Tuli said, was an increase in efficiency and customer satisfaction.
”I think some of the clients were excited about it,” Tuli said. “If a customer had a simple question, perhaps about the current 12 month CD rate, we could answer back almost instantly instead of having to email our customer back.”
Using IM has also boosted efficiency internally, he said, offering a case study in how different industries could use this tool to decrease the time for decision making and fact finding.
“If I need to speak to the Cambridge branch, I used to have to call through our switchboard,” Tuli said. “If they were on the phone, I’d have to call back or leave a message and wait for the call to be returned. Now, I can send a quick message over to the branch and get what I need in less time.”
Since boosting their profile through the use of IM, Tuli said the bank has received calls from across the country, expressing interest in bringing their own financial institutions online. Potential customers are also beginning to take notice.
“I would not change banks solely on the IM ability,” Black said, “[but] I do like this idea. If it catches on, I’m sure all banks will follow suit.”
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How does your industry use instant messaging? Has your company or business benefited from its use? Tell us about your workplace IM experiences! Email Brandon De Hoyos, Guide to Instant Messaging, at im.guide@about.com.
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