With the increasingly widespread use of the digital bank, the need for assistance via telephone, e-mail, chat and social media is growing: over 46 millions of incoming phone calls arrived at the bank contact centers in 2018, of which over 27 million (the 58,5%) operated by an operator, up by 6,4% compared to the previous year. To these are added about 13 million outgoing phone calls, also because of an increasingly marked orientation to remote consulting that the channel is taking on in recent years.
This is what emerges from the Survey of the Banking Contact Center conducted by Abi Lab and the Abi Studies Office, which was attended by 21 representative banking representatives of 70% of the sector in terms of branches
2,5 million e-mails were also handled, 15,3% up on the 2017 and around 1,6 millions of chats and video chats (+ 27,8%). Furthermore, in line with customers' increasingly digital lifestyles, contact center operators also manage interactions on social media in 85% of responding banks. The most watched Social continues to be Facebook, followed by Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram. The tendency to monitor responses to comments on the platforms that make smartphone apps available, the so-called App stores (google play, apple store, etc.) is also very common.
From the Observatory report it emerges that the 60% of calls get an answer already in the first 20 seconds and that the average wait is around 60 seconds. Considering even the most complex requests, on average more than 4 minutes are dedicated for each call.
Regarding the management of non-telephone contacts, for the e-mails the report emphasizes that the average response time is on average around 21,6 hours. Good also the performances linked to the interaction via chat, with conversations of the average duration of just under 10 minutes, and on social networks, for which the average response time to a post / tweet stands at an average of 65 minutes.
According to the report, over the 90% of the analyzed realities offers support to customers in the use of the Internet, Mobile Banking and online trading, confirming the importance that the contact center is taking as a facilitator in the use of virtual channels.
Among the other information services offered are: the request for information on the balance, on current account movements, on securities deposits and on loans (for 86% of responding contact centers). The component related to assistance services (customer care) is also very strong: 86% of companies are involved in the management of complaints and 81% in the reception and management of reminders.
Among the banking services provided by contact centers for customers who identify themselves with personal codes, the following are particularly relevant: SEPA transfers (for 71%), account transfers (67%), insurance quotes (43%) and loan estimates and financing (38%).