Internet Self-Serve

Information - Transaction - Interaction

Why self-serve? "Some 16 million Americans use the Internet when buying a car or making a major investment or financial decision according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the non-profit group that conducted the survey, Americans use Internet to make life decisions."

As the Internet gains increasing popularity, providing the functionality and service that customers have come to expect will be the next hurdle for the financial industry. Airlines, hotels, and retailers are continually shaping consumer behavior by offering enticing self-serve discounts and online only availability. It's cost effective for the business and appealing to the increasingly time-starved consumer wanting instant gratification. If people can purchase all their Christmas gifts online, why can't they purchase financial products without going to the branch? Initially, the financial industry limited self-serve capabilities to researching information about products and services. The industry has since progressed to online statements and transactions. As the evolution of the Internet continues, the expectations of the financial industry will move towards providing interactive, customized financial product purchasing capabilities.

Opportunity - Offering Intelligent Self-Serve

Ignite Sales replaces the self-serve neophytes of the past that delivered little to no value to the financial institution or the customer. With Ignite's Customer Relationship Guides, consumers who are too busy or otherwise reluctant to go into a branch can obtain financial help, while the financial institution sells more products all online. Through this educational interaction, the financial institution is instilling the passion and emotion required for consumers to take action. The financial institution replicates the actions of their best relationship managers using technology. Reducing unnecessary face-to-face consultations and eliminating non-qualified leads while improving the overall customer experience translates into higher customer loyalty and increased revenue.

Advantage

Financial institutions can now realize the promise of reducing the cost of customer interaction while increasing the level of personalized service. Providing the right customer experience whether in self-serve or in branches yields 35 times the apply results of other combined marketing and lead generation efforts.