Re-thinking Omni-Channel Strategy with Latest Advances in Generative AI and Agentic AI

In today’s fast-paced financial services landscape, credit unions and community banks face a dual challenge: delivering exceptional customer experiences while keeping costs in check. Many institutions have adopted a multi-channel approach—chat, text, social media, and more—only to find themselves stretched thin. But there’s a better way.

Our latest eBook, The New Service Standard: Why Omni-AI Outperforms Omni-Channel in Financial Services, reveals a powerful insight: human-assisted interactions should center on voice, while AI can manage nearly 100% of routine interactions across other channels with latest advances in Generative AI and Agentic AI. And when AI can’t handle a complex situation, escalating to voice—not live chat—offers the best path to resolution.

Voice: The Heart of Human-Assisted Service for complex issues

When customers need a human touch for complex issues that AI can’t handle, voice stands out as the most effective channel. Unlike text-based options, voice delivers:

• Empathy: Financial matters often carry emotional weight. A live conversation allows agents to connect with customers on a personal level, building trust.
• Clarity: Complex issues—like disputes or loan modifications—benefit from real-time dialogue, where tone and inflection help convey understanding.
• Efficiency: Voice enables agents to resolve intricate problems faster through dynamic, back-and-forth discussions.

By focusing human assistance on voice, institutions can maximize the impact of their agents, reserving their skills for moments that truly matter in the channel that is best for the complex issues.

AI Takes the Lead on Routine Interactions

Across other channels—like chat, text, and social media—AI can handle close to 100% of everyday inquiries, transforming how financial institutions operate. This includes:

• Quick Answers: Checking balances, transaction histories, or branch hours? AI delivers instant responses.
• Process Support: From guiding customers through applications to answering FAQs, AI streamlines routine tasks.
• Scalability: AI manages high volumes without adding staff, ensuring consistency and speed.

This approach frees up resources, cuts wait times, and reduces costs—all while maintaining a seamless customer experience.

Escalation to Voice: The Smarter Choice Over Live Chat

When AI reaches its limits, the escalation process matters. While many default to live chat, voice is the superior option for unresolved complex issues. Here’s why:

• Rich Interaction: Voice allows for deeper exploration of complex problems, with agents able to ask questions and adapt on the fly—something live chat’s slower pace can’t match.
• Better Outcomes: Studies show voice resolves issues faster and leaves customers more satisfied than text-based alternatives for complex issues.
• Simpler Operation: By leveraging investments already made in the call centers and avoiding channel sprawl, CFIs can keep the member service operations simple and streamlined.

Escalating to voice ensures that tricky situations get the attention they deserve, avoiding the limitations of live chat’s impersonal, back-and-forth nature.

Unlock the Full Strategy

Our eBook dives deeper into this game-changing approach:

• How AI outperforms traditional multi-channel strategies.
• Why voice beats live chat for escalations.
• Steps to implement this model at your institution.

Download The New Service Standard now to learn how prioritizing voice for human assistance and AI for everything else can transform your customer service—saving time, money, and frustration.