ABN AMRO meets customers anywhere for financial advice with Microsoft Teams and Azure Communication Services

Building trust into the customer journey

When Hartmans and his colleagues searched for a platform on which to base ABN AMRO’s remote banking solution, Teams and Azure Communication Services stood out because of the ability to interoperate with the bank’s existing tool set, including Microsoft Dynamics 365. “Teams offers the capabilities and the roadmap we needed to align it with our customer journeys,” says Hartmans. One of the most important aspects of that roadmap was the inclusion of Azure Communication Services SDKs. “Along with picture-in-picture technology, the ability to use web and mobile SDKs to incorporate Teams into our digital banking environment was compelling,” he continues. “We found the features we needed in Teams.”

In early iterations of video banking at ABN AMRO, its financial advisors had to schedule their own appointments and send out meeting links. Customers often had to download a legacy mobile app or desktop version of Cisco Webex to join the meetings. While it was a relatively simple process, especially compared with an in-person appointment at a branch, the experience felt disjointed. “Today, customers make their own appointments from their digital banking portal,” says Vincent Bakker, Daily Banking Advisor at ABN AMRO. It might seem like only a small improvement, but it goes a long way in building trust with customers, who are naturally wary of links or emails that claim to originate from financial institutions. Adds Hartmans, “Financial services customers are very worried about fraud, which is why their journey has to be consistent from start to finish. If it’s not, people begin to question if the interaction is safe.”

The bank used Teams and Azure Communication Services to construct a truly unified banking portal, including an ABN AMRO branded lobby where customers can wait to start a meeting and enhancements to help build trust in the online experience. “There was some distrust in the beginning because customers wondered if we were really from the bank,” says Bakker. “But now that they can see us with our branded backgrounds, they’re much more confident about using the digital banking portal to speak with us.”

The video banking portal also includes all the tools that customers need for signing and sharing documents. “Using Azure Communication Services to make sure that customers can attend their own Teams meetings from within the portal was the most important change we’ve implemented since launching video banking,” says Hartmans. “Its ability to help cultivate a sense of security can’t be overstated.”

More customers, more meetings, and more locations

The reimagined video banking experience is also making it easier for employees like Bakker to meet with more customers and accommodate their schedules. “If two customers want to create a joint account, but one is at home and the other is at work, we can still meet via Teams,” he says. “Meeting customers where they are is a lot easier now with more flexibility for everyone.” In one recent example, Bakker used the Teams and Azure Communication Services solution to give advice to customers on two different continents at the same time. “It no longer matters where people are,” he says. “We can still offer them advice.” 

The solution also makes it easier for financial advisors to consult with colleagues and, in some cases, bring them into customer meetings. “If a customer needs specialized advice about a topic like mortgages, I can ask a colleague to join the call and answer those questions rather than putting the customer on hold or scheduling another meeting,” says Bakker. 

Bakker also uses Teams and Azure Communication Services to help colleagues keep up with customer demand. “Before we started using Teams for video banking sessions, I sometimes had slow days waiting for a customer to come in,” he says. “Today, I can use that time to help out busy branches by connecting with customers remotely, so they don’t have to wait.”

Improving its Net Promoter Score with a more flexible, personalized service

The bank distributes feedback forms following a video banking session, and it’s tracked an uptick in its Net Promoter Score since launching the service. “The Net Promoter Score for video banking is structurally higher than in person because the service combines the expertise and personal advice of ABN AMRO bankers with the flexibility and speed of a Teams meeting,” says Hartmans. In the past, customers might have had to wait weeks for advisor availability. “We don’t have that problem anymore,” says Bakker. “With our Teams-based video banking service, every customer immediately gets an advisor.”

By focusing on digital banking, ABN AMRO has reduced its overall branch network significantly, from close to 200 branches across the Netherlands down to 25. The bank recognizes that some people still like to visit branches in person, but it’s finding that more and more, people love the digital option, and that clear preference led to a decrease in physical branches. In fact, the majority of ABN AMRO meetings with financial advisors are digital. “99 percent of our customer meetings about mortgages happen via video banking,” says Hartmans. “It’s become the standard way of working.” And advisors can work more efficiently thanks to the streamlined nature of the video banking solution. “Arranging a meeting took a lot of effort in the past, but now it’s all automated,” he adds. “That helps tremendously with time management and employee satisfaction.”

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