Nedbank Insurance introduces chatbot

In line with its brand promise to enable its clients to See Money Differently, Nedbank has prioritised innovation as a vital cornerstone on which it delivers value to its clients. The bank is especially committed to leveraging digital innovation as a means of facilitating effective client engagement and the recent release of a new chatbot client interface for Nedbank Insurance clients is a prime example of this commitment in action.
The Nedbank Insurance Chatbot – or NIC as it is fast becoming known – was developed with the specific objective of making it easy for Nedbank clients, and South African consumers in general, to engage with Nedbank Insurance for all their short-term and personal insurance requirements. The technology makes it possible to request and receive tailored insurance quotes online within just seven minutes, from any internet-connected device, and at any time. In the near future, the seamless, digital client experience will also be enhanced to allow users to institute claims and submit queries or complaints about Nedbank Insurance products or services.
Chatbots are not new to South African consumers. For some time now, these easy-to-use computer programmes have been enabling users of PCs, laptops and mobile devices to conduct automated conversations with service providers, either verbally or via written messages. However, the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) to the chatbot technology takes the resulting engagement possibilities to new heights.
Nedbank is one of the first banks in the country to introduce this type of AI-enabled chatbot and, according to Tawanda Chatikobo, Nedbank Insurance digital lead, the bank is confident that the technology is set to revolutionise the way in which people interact with their financial services providers.
“NIC is a customer-centric technology that offers a user-friendly customer experience. The AI functionality means the experience is like interacting with a responsive and empathetic human and, in addition to being as easy to use as any social media chat interface, it offers the additional benefit of immediate feedback.”
Chatikobo also points to the fact that NIC is available to clients 24/7/365 as another significant way in which the technology enables Nedbank to add value to its clients. “Insurance events don’t keep to office hours, which is why Nedbank Insurance is committed to being reliably there for our clients and NIC adds another dimension to this promise, by ensuring our clients know that they have the means of engaging with us whenever they need to.”
According to Chatikobo there is immensely positive response to the chatbot by existing and prospective Nedbank Insurance clients since NIC was introduced on 1 August.
“NIC was conceived in response to the evidence of rapidly changing insurance consumer expectations, particularly around accessibility, ease of use, and speed of response. With approximately 16-million South Africans already comfortable with social media chat platforms, we believed the time was right for a technology driven answer to these needs.
“And given the positive feedback we have received thus far, and the steady increase in the numbers of people who are using the chatbot to engage with Nedbank Insurance, we have no doubt that NIC is an idea whose time has come.”
NIC is accessible via Nedbank.co.za/Insurance and on Facebook messenger.