ABN AMRO Adopts Integrated Multichannel Approach For Customer Care

Global banking group ABN AMRO has invested almost S$1 million (US$570,000) in a multimedia interaction management solution from ITApps, a regional customer loyalty solutions provider, to enhance its current Customer Contact Center operations in Singapore.

The two-phase project is an integral part of the Bank’s commitment to providing efficient and quality consumer banking services in Singapore, using cutting-edge technology, in response to the Government’s deregulation of the retail banking and financial market for foreign banks.

Implementation of the multimedia interaction management solution has already started this week, and is scheduled to be completed in four months’ time, according to Sandeep Dhar, vice-president, Head Alternative Channels & CRM, Consumer Banking, ABN AMRO Bank, Singapore.

He added that the contract, which is worth “close to S$1 million (US$570,000),” was awarded to ITApps after the Bank thoroughly evaluated six vendors, who offered a range of functionality and system benefits. It had picked ITApps because the vendor enabled it to protect its existing investments and systems.

Integration work to be undertaken include integrating the new system with the Bank’s existing Nortel PABX and Intervoice IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system.

“The new system will make it very convenient for those deciding to become ABN AMRO customers to contact us through whatever channel they choose. The Bank has taken an integrated multichannel approach to implementing its systems; some parts of it are geared toward increasing staff efficiency, while other parts are directly experienced by customers, such as being able to interact with the Bank across the physical (Branch), phone, Internet, and mobile channels,” he said.

The Singapore Customer Contact Center will be the first in Asia to benefit from the ITApps multimedia interaction management solution. There are, however, no plans in the pipeline to roll out similar projects to other ABN AMRO operations within the region.

Added Chris Cheung, managing director of Hong Kong-headquartered ITApps Limited, which also has offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China, “We are very pleased to become an important business partner of ABN AMRO. Our team of professionals understands very well that the customer contact center is a core business function to ABN AMRO.

“With our total commitment to helping our valued customer capture an ever-growing market share in Singapore, our comprehensive customer loyalty solution will serve to maximize the customer experience and create added business values and benefits for the Bank.”