ABN AMRO differentiates its Omnichannel Customer Experience using Microsoft Teams
By: Abn Amro
Tags: Abn Amro, Microsoft Teams, Innovation, Beeldbankieren, Omnichannel

ABN AMRO differentiates its Omnichannel Customer Experience using Microsoft Teams

Innovation

Today, if you’re looking to buy property in the Netherlands, it’s likely you’ll encounter the Dutch bank ABN AMRO early in your online search. From a real estate company’s website, you can make an appointment to talk to an ABM AMRO mortgage advisor via a video call scheduled at your convenience. “We started using video technology to facilitate conversations between customers and mortgage advisors early, and it’s created a competitive advantage for ABN AMRO,” says Frank Verkerk, Chief Digital Officer at ABN AMRO. ”Until recently, we relied on Skype for Business to deliver this solution. But we have transitioned to Microsoft Teams and now the customer experience is even easier and better.”

“ABN AMRO has an ambition to be one of the best remote banks in the world. As we add more and more Teams meeting functionality to our video-enabled banking, we’re on the right track to achieve that goal.” Frank Verkerk: Chief Ditigal Officer ABN AMRO

Today, ABN AMRO enhances that competitive advantage by improving its digital client service model across all lines of business. Thanks to a recent investment in Microsoft 365, ABN AMRO uses Microsoft Teams to enhance its portfolio of omnichannel capabilities, including video banking, that customers can choose from. As Teams becomes an integral part of ABN AMRO’s digital banking platform for its largest segments, it will be easier than ever for customers to enjoy video appointments for more of their banking needs.

“Technology is a means to an end,” says Verkerk. “For us, that end is great customer service. Teams meetings operate flawlessly, with reliable, one-click video conferencing that delivers a delightful customer experience. Teams has the scalability to provide these effortless experiences as we grow our business. Today, nearly 100 percent of our mortgage transactions are conducted online.”

Cultural affinity with online experiences gives Teams an opportunity to shine

Dutch consumers have long embraced the internet, and it’s their comfort level with online transactions that provides the context for ABN AMRO’s digital channel strategies. For the first time since its founding in 1789, ABN AMRO is closing branches, as in-person visits decline, and people opt for the convenience of online banking.

However, customers always appreciate the personal touch. “For complex financial products, people appreciate personal advice, but they also want expedient service that fits their modern lives,” says Joeri Hartmans, Product Owner of Video Banking at ABN AMRO. “The combination of flexibility and personal advice is video banking’s appeal. Today, people rate video banking conversations with a higher Net Promoter Score than they do in-person conversations at the branch.”

So, what will Teams bring to the video banking experience? ABN AMRO has high expectations. “Teams provides a better customer experience — it optimizes video banking services in our internet and web banking platforms, and it’s an extensible platform for innovation at ABN AMRO,” says Hartmans.

Frictionless Teams meetings drive customer, advisor satisfaction

Using Teams for video banking means customers no longer require plug-ins to initiate meetings. If you ask Djawid Fatah, Advisor, Personal Banking at ABN AMRO, this was the number one drawback of the bank’s previous conferencing solutions. “The big difference, from my perspective as an advisor, is the ease and comfort of Teams,” says Fatah. “It’s that initial few moments of getting connected that set the tone for a good, easy video conference, and Teams meetings make that happen, especially for less tech-savvy customers.”

Fatah conducts three to five video banking appointments with international clients daily. Skeptical at first, he quickly saw that a Teams meeting can be as personal as a face-to-face conversation. “I thought you had to be in the same room to build client relationships,” he says. “But there is no difference in my ability to interact during a video banking appointment using Teams. I can ‘meet’ my clients anywhere, anytime. This is great for international clients in different time zones.”

Highly secure video conference environment

ABN AMRO vetted Teams as a collaboration platform before making it the bank’s cornerstone for video banking. “We are a trusted institution, and customers need reinforcement of that trust, especially with new services,” says Verkerk. “We worked with Microsoft to ensure that its cloud technology meets our expectations for security. Regarding video banking, Teams is a trusted platform in combination with our proprietary technology.”

Hartmans points to the added security of having customers wait in the lobby until an advisor agrees that the meeting goes ahead as one way to ensure that video banking in Teams complies with the bank’s security standards. “We are looking into compliance recording in Teams, so we can reproduce what is said during an appointment should we have to for legal reasons,” he says.

Teams enriches web and online customer experience

To enrich web and mobile banking features for customers, ABN AMRO takes advantage of the extensibility of its Teams solution. “Teams is the basis for evolving ABN AMRO’s video banking platform for the future,” says Hartmans. “When Microsoft will make web and mobile SDKs generally available, we can increase the integration of video banking within our internet experience and our mobile banking app — where customers are already logged in to a secured environment. We look forward to that.”

To improve the mobile banking experience, ABM AMRO plans on using the Teams mobile SDK to embed Teams meeting functionality in the branded ABN AMRO mobile app. Today, if customers want to launch video banking sessions on their phones, they must download the Teams mobile app. That’s about to change. “We’ll be adding to an already rich mobile banking experience when customers launch video banking sessions within our mobile app with just one click,” says Hartmans. “With everything you need in your video appointment right at your fingertips, you can have a smooth meeting with your advisor.”

An enriched experience also awaits customers using ABN AMRO’s online banking at home. The video banking feature already integrates with the online experience, and ABN AMRO added document sharing and digital contract signing. ABN AMRO is looking forward to using the Teams web SDK to embed the video tool in its video banking environment. “The customer and advisor can easily complete product or service applications in the Teams environment in one step,” says Hartmans.

A global health crisis proved the value of video banking

When COVID-19 arrived and companies initiated work-from-home mandates, it became clear that ABN AMRO’s video banking strategy has the potential to change banking behavior for the long term. With bank branches closed, suddenly a large group of customers discovered the value of the video banking solution — and many became converts. “COVID-19 accelerated the use of video banking across all our business lines,” says Verkerk. “Requests from advisors to use Microsoft video technology increased, and we onboarded other products and businesses. Now, we have 3,000 advisors using the solution.”

ABN AMRO is an innovator in virtual client service models, enabling geographically independent service, anywhere and anytime. This has only improved since the arrival of COVID-19. In the second quarter of 2020, 96 percent of ABN AMRO’s interactions with customers took place virtually. That represents an increase in video banking sessions of 32 percent. Closed loop feedback shows that 40 percent of customers even promote video banking after their first appointment.

Helping customers through the health crisis was a top priority for ABN AMRO, and the success of its digital channels, including video banking, drives customer loyalty and a competitive advantage. Despite the lockdown, 59 percent of its customers felt they could do their banking anytime, anywhere. “ABN AMRO has an ambition to be one of the best remote banks in the world,” concludes Verkerk. “As we add more and more Teams meeting functionality to our video-enabled banking, we’re on the right track to achieve that goal.”

Find out more about ABN AMRO on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

“We worked with Microsoft to ensure that its cloud technology meets our expectations for security. Regarding video banking, Teams is a trusted platform in combination with our proprietary technology.” Frank Verkerk: Chief Digital Officer ABN AMRO

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