Co-operative financial network launches Alexa skill for voice banking
The cooperative banks in Germany have launched the first Alexa skill voice service across their network. The Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken skill has been available in Amazon's German-language Alexa Skills Store since the end of April. It allows cooperative bank customers who have enabled the skill to quickly and easily access relevant information. Questions such as “Alexa, ask Volksbank which credit card is the best one for me” or “Alexa, ask Raiffeisenbank what a mobile TAN is” are now answered by Alexa using the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken skill. Initially, customers will be able to ask for general information relating to the cooperative banks and the services they offer. They will also be able to ask whether a particular branch is currently open, when it closes, and how they can contact their bank advisor, as well as find out more about the types of account available. Each local cooperative bank can integrate its own customized answers and dialogs, for example relating to account types or local news and events.
“Digital voice recognition is growing in popularity and the technology has evolved into a market-ready application. The new voice skill – part of our omnichannel strategy – gives our customers another means of getting in touch with their bank. The voice service allows them to contact their local cooperative bank and receive information irrespective of office hours and without the need to type,” says Dr. Andreas Martin, Member of the Board of Managing Directors of the National Association of German Cooperative Banks (BVR). Following a decision by its committees, the BVR joined forces with internet service provider VR-NetWorld, part of the cooperative financial network, to develop and launch the Alexa service. “I believe that voice services will revolutionize the interaction between banks and their customers,” says Alexander Doukas, Managing Director of VR-NetWorld. “The Alexa skill is our first opportunity to gain experience with this new digital customer contact channel. We will systematically expand the voice channel into a new service and sales channel and help the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken to use the offerings of their partners in the cooperative financial network to showcase their local expertise,” Doukas adds.
Find the press release here
Source: BVR website