British high-street banks continue to close at an alarming rate. As usual, Japan is showing a way forward with robots working as assistants to deal with customer service queries when an in-branch visit is essential.
In Japan, Mizuho Bank in Tokyo is experimenting with in-branch AI robots, built by Avatarin, that link customers with support agents. Equipped with tablet-sized touchscreens and cameras, they can deal with queries, wherever the agent is located. If successful, the trial will be expanded to other branches.
Many UK banks are coalescing around generic banking hubs to maintain a presence in towns and cities. But, that might not help if a customer has a specific query with their bank. Robots linking customers with customer service agents could be one way to deal with the issue.
The Chinese robots taking to the floor
China has gone one step further with a pair of robots operating in a branch of China Construction Bank. This trial follows an earlier 2018 Shanghai experiment where the smiling robots were possibly too happy for Chinese consumers. Mizuho originally trialled a robotic bank assistant in 2015, showing how far ahead their customer experience teams were thinking, and that robots are key to their future.
Beyond banks, more robots are appearing across Chinese retail stores and other amenities, to help with stocking and cleaning. They improve the customer experience and add a degree of novelty to new stores. We hope they can soon collect and pack up online orders in local stores globally. Orders that currently occupy staff who should be serving in-store customers.
The vast majority of Japanese and Chinese citizens are happy being served by robots, becoming more visible by the month. In western markets, consumers aren’t so keen. But banks can opt for AI-enabled ATM kiosks (now badged as intelligent teller machines or ITMs). These provide access to customer support to help users navigate complex banking processes or answer queries through AI or a remote customer support agent.
They are promoted as solutions for rural and remote areas where local banks have closed, and banking hubs. They are unlikely to replace street-facing ATMs, or offer live chat in that environment, where people are unlikely to want to discuss their finances in public.