ENACOMM, Inc—a fintech company that empowers banks, credit unions and credit card companies with affordable solutions for improving the customer experience (CX), fighting financial fraud, and increasing operational efficiency—today announced that it has launched Bank Independent’s Alexa skill, adding artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted banking to the list of products and services it provides to Bank Independent, which includes a hosted, dynamic interactive voice response (IVR) solution.
“Our new Alexa skill is the next step in providing the right balance of digital convenience and personal service,” said Kelly Burdette, Senior Vice President of Digital and Product at Bank Independent. “We want to provide our customers with the service they expect in the channel they choose. For Bank Independent, that means looking for innovative partners like ENACOMM, who can help us meet our customers’ needs as they arise.”
Bank Independent customers are now able to “converse” with a digital voice assistant—powered by big data and made safe with voice biometric authentication—to manage their Bank Independent accounts. Customers can quickly, easily and securely access:
- Checking, savings, CD and loans
- Balances
- Transactions
- Transfers
- Loan payments, payoff and due date
- Checks (through a search function)
- CD rates
- Locations and hours
“Bank Independent embodies all of the advantages of a community bank, yet it’s committed to remaining a fierce competitor for the megabanks on the technology front,” said ENACOMM CEO Michael Boukadakis. “Bank Independent offers the personal touch that people crave from their financial institution, while equipping customers with modern tools that elevate convenience.”
ENACOMM’s affordable products and services work with financial institutions’ core providers. Bank Independent’s adoption of AI-assisted conversational banking will further integrate with its existing use ofViA®, a powerful analytics tool that improves the IVR experience, as well as an ENACOMM-hosted dashboard that maximizes IVR capabilities and unifies customer communications across all interaction channels to create an omnichannel customer experience.
“The majority of Bank Independent customers are tech-savvy individuals with busy lives,” explained Burdette. “We respect our customers’ time and understand the importance of empowering them to effortlessly manage their money on their own terms. The decision to roll out conversational banking was a no-brainer, because Bank Independent puts the needs of our customers first.”
Burdette added, “After launching the skill, we heard from a customer who is 89 years old. He has macular degeneration, and this Alexa skill makes his banking and his life easier. He said he found it almost unbelievable. Making a positive difference like that is what Bank Independent is all about.”
In the near future, new features that will be added to Bank Independent’s offering include precise location information and additional information about the bank’s business services, in addition to debit card management in the longer term.
Bank Independent is currently introducing customers from its 28 branches across north Alabama to voice banking. For more information on ENACOMM’s conversational banking product Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA), visit www.enacomm.net.