Bank of Ireland investing additional €34 million in customer service improvements

Bank of Ireland investing additional €34 million in customer service improvements

• Investment will overhaul telephony and other systems leading to faster customer service
• More services available 24/7, with voice biometrics improving security and efficiency
• Latest investment follows announcement of €60 million spend on ATMs and branch network, and €50 million on fraud protections

Bank of Ireland has announced a major additional investment in customer services with more than €34 million in the transformation of its telephony and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

This investment in technology will lead to faster resolution of customer calls, enhanced self-service options (change account address, order duplicate statements, request a new card), allow more transactions to take place 24/7 via phone, and improved customer security. The investment will:

• Provide 2,800 colleagues in branches and contact centres with quick 'single view of customer' data for faster call resolutions
• Use voice biometrics to improve customer authentication for better fraud protection and reduce call waiting times
• Enable more streamlined phone-based transactions which can be done 24/7, including improved customer verification methods, and removing complex menus

This latest announcement brings the total spend being made by Bank of Ireland on a range of customer service improvements to close to €150 million to the end of 2025.

Commenting on the investment, Susan Russell, CEO, Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland said:

"This is the largest single investment in enhanced systems and technology for our frontline colleagues in branches and contact centres that the Bank has ever made. We receive more than 11,000 calls on average each day and when customers call us they want speed, expertise and security. This investment equips colleagues with the latest technology to provide better and faster resolution of calls, and colleagues will now have a 'single view' of the customer at the touch of a button providing them with instant access to all their information without having to talk to another part of the bank. This investment will make things faster and better for customers and for colleagues, it's a win-win."

In January Bank of Ireland announced an investment of more than €60 million in a range of branch improvements, including the Bank's largest single investment in ATMs in the last decade. The Bank also announced spending of €50 million on customer fraud prevention and protection in February including investment in new technology.