Mashreq launches AI-powered digital engagement banking bot

By Edil Corneille

June 17, 2020

UAE’s Mashreq has selected Avaya and Koopid’s digital engagement banking bot solution. Customers of the financial institution can now access self-service capabilities for instantaneous service delivery and shorter times to resolution. The solution enables customers to transition to a browser-based chat session with the new virtual agent. The system securely authenticates customers, uses native-language processing to correctly interpret their enquiries, interfaces with the bank’s back-end systems, and presents relevant details in a visual format.

“We’re seeing a clear shift in how customers prefer to interact with our bank. After moving away from physically visiting our branches, they are now increasingly engaging with us through the multitude of digital channels that we offer. This latest deployment follows the digital-first approach that Mashreq has pioneered in the region,” stated Ellis Wang, Group Head of Technology, Transformation and Information, Mashreq.

The chatbot has managed end-to-end resolution of customer requests. The system transfers the case to a human agent during the chat, if required or requested.

Ram Kashi, Co-Founder & Head of Business Development, Koopid said, “Together, we identified the main reasons customers call the bank’s contact center, and closely examined their service journeys. We then mapped these to the bot’s workflows so that the AI-powered agent can provide the most fluid and intuitive self-service experiences.”

Fadi Hani, Vice President, Avaya Middle East, Africa and Turkey mentioned, “This implementation is yet another demonstration of Mashreq’s commitment to being an early adopter of new technologies that elevate digital experiences to new heights. This AI engine will also serve as a platform to intelligently automate operations for the bank’s customers and employees, paving the way for ongoing service enhancements and increased efficiency across departments. We look forward to enabling Mashreq and its customers with even more innovation in the future.”

Simultaneously, Avaya’s flexible contact centre solutions have enabled Mashreq to transition its entire contact centre workforce to a work-from-anywhere arrangement. Secure access to the tools and services required by the personnel is maintained.

June 17, 2020