8×8 Helps Welsh Water Turn on the Tap
8×8, the enterprise communications firm from Campbell, California, says its CPaaS Video Interaction API is being deployed by water services company Welsh Water to improve the public utility’s efficiency and productivity, while also delivering faster service resolution for enhanced CX.
A not-for-profit company supplying drinking water and wastewater services to 1.4 million households in Wales and western England, Welsh Water faced challenges providing customer support, especially when related to triaging customer issues, such as leaking or burst pipes. A lack of visual data also made it difficult for staff to know what exactly was needed to fix an issue, leading to wasted time and costs of approximately £130 per trip.
Now with 8×8 CPaaS, Welsh Water is able to better communicate with its customers, connecting remotely to them through video to better diagnose a problem correctly, judge its severity and priority, and develop an appropriate plan of action. In general, CPaaS offers straightforward integration of real-time, cloud-based, customized communication services like video chat or two-factor authentication directly into an existing application.
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“Resolving issues for customers requires a multistep process to identify the severity, who is best equipped to fix the issue, and where it falls on the list of current priorities,” says Peter O’Hanlon, head of delivery for customer strategy for Welsh Water. “The 8×8 Video Interaction API allows us to better perform triage when issues and problems arise over the phone or mobile device without needing to send someone out straightaway to the physical location. We’re now better equipped to solve problems faster, which is a benefit to both us and our customers.”
MoEngage and Tata Capital Collaborate to Enhance Personalized CX
Customer engagement company MoEngage is collaborating with Tata Capital, the flagship financial services company of India’s Tata Group, to provide best-in-class CX. using their suite of marketing automation offerings.
Through the partnership, Tata Capital will drive an omnichannel experience across email, WhatsApp, SMS text, and push, helping customers across different loan categories and enhancing Tata Capital’s capability to provide cutting-edge CX, supporting the brand’s continued growth in the Indian market. The collaboration with San Francisco-based MoEngage will also enable Tata Capital to access real-time customer events and obtain in-depth analysis of customer behavior.
“Our partnership with MoEngage allows us to further elevate our engagement strategies to deliver exceptional customer experiences and improve our marketing spend efficiencies,” says Abonty Banerjee, chief digital and marketing officer at Tata Capital. “This collaboration will help us in meeting the evolving needs of our customers and deliver on our promise of being their trusted financial partner.”
eGain Partners with Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union for AI-Powered Coaching
eGain, the developer of customer service infrastructure solutions, announced recently that its eGain AI Coach has been selected by the Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union (RBFCU) to offer personalized financial wellness plans at scale to credit union members and employees. Pre-packaged with financial wellness counseling expertise from GreenPath, a national nonprofit that provides financial counseling and education, the Coach uses behavioral best practices, conversational automation, and digital messaging to guide people.
With its mission to improve economic well-being and quality of life, RBFCU will use the Coach to digitally engage members and employees, discover their financial goals, and deliver personalized action plans for financial wellness. For its part, the Coach will provide conversational advice on a range of financial topics, leveraging decades of eGain digital and knowledge technologies to engage customers through personalized digital messaging. Personalized coaching enables financial institutions to provide precise advice, but also keeps consumers on their wellness track through behavioral nudges and encouragement over time. RBFCU serves more than 1 million members at 62 branch locations throughout Texas.
The Coach has received positive reviews from consumers, says Silicon Valley-based eGain. Nearly 90% affirm that Coach-recommended plans for financial wellness are achievable, while more than a third say it helped reduce their credit-related stress.
“We are more than just a bank. Our mission is to help members save time, save money, and make money,” says Sonya McDonald, executive vice president and chief operating officer at RBFCU. “We will deliver on that mission with personalized service, advice and coaching, powered by eGain and GreenPath.”
WebEngage is the New Partner of Ikea Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
WebEngage, the Mumbai, India, provider of a customer data platform (CDP) and marketing automation suite, has partnered with Ikea Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to enhance customer engagement. Owned by the Saudi investment management company Alsulaiman Group, the Ikea stores in those two countries in the Middle East will deploy WebEngage tools to provide a customized furnishing experience and streamline their customer engagement strategy.
Ahmad Al-Fagih, digital commerce manager of IKEA Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, says the stores are committed to enhancing CX and creating a better everyday life for shoppers. “Our partnership with WebEngage will enable us to harness the power of hyper-personalization and omnichannel engagement to deliver a delightful experience and strengthen our relationship with customers,” Al-Fagih adds.
Founded in 2011 to help businesses simplify customer conversion and retention, WebEngage has been steadily expanding its client base in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company’s growth phase recently culminated in a $20 million Series B funding round led by Singapore-headquartered SWC Global and by Singularity Growth Opportunities Fund, the venture capital fund managed by Mumbai-based Singularity AMC. Additional participation came from existing investors India Quotient, Blume Ventures, and IAN Fund.
Salesforce Enjoys Expanded Organizations with Esquire Financial Holdings
Salesforce announced that Esquire Financial Holdings, the provider of banking and financial solutions and also the holding company for Esquire Bank, National Association, has expanded its use of Salesforce technology to more effectively power the bank’s personalized sales and marketing initiatives aimed at law firms nationally.
A digital-first, branchless bank that has to nurture and build client relationships nationally across digital channels using targeted or account-based marketing campaigns, Jericho, New York-based Esquire relies primarily on technology to virtually power customer and prospect engagements. Now, through its expanded work with Salesforce, Esquire will leverage AI, advanced data analytics, and personalization features to deliver real-time and relevant thought leadership content and experiences to customers and prospects.
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“As a client-centric, technology-focused bank, our continued investment in Salesforce technology plays an essential role in reaching our target market, as well as our future success,” says Andrew C. Sagliocca, CEO and president of Esquire. “We meet our target clients on their terms and timeframe, in the digital channels and with the content that helps them achieve their business goals, not in traditional branches during traditional bank hours.”
Esquire initially implemented Salesforce Marketing Cloud to more effectively reach prospective customers nationally. After two years of using Marketing Cloud, Esquire now generates more than 50% of its law firm leads from digital marketing initiatives. In addition to Marketing Cloud, Esquire leverages other Salesforce technologies, including Tableau and Sales Cloud.
Esquire Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of Esquire Financial Holdings, is a full-service commercial bank dedicated to serving the financial needs of the legal industry and small businesses nationally, as well as customers in the commercial and retail sectors in the New York metropolitan area.
Author Information
Alex is responsible for writing about trends and changes that are impacting the customer experience market. He had served as Principal Editor at Village Intelligence, a Los Angeles-based consultancy on technology impacting healthcare and healthcare-related industries. Alex was also Associate Director for Content Management at Omdia and Informa Tech, where he produced white papers, executive summaries, market insights, blogs, and other key content assets. His areas of coverage spanned the sectors grouped under the technology vertical, including semiconductors, smart technologies, enterprise & IT, media, displays, mobile, power, healthcare, China research, industrial and IoT, automotive, and transformative technologies.
At IHS Markit, he was Managing Editor of the company’s flagship IHS Quarterly, covering aerospace & defense, economics & country risk, chemicals, oil & gas, and other IHS verticals. He was Principal Editor of analyst output at iSuppli Corp. and Managing Editor of Market Watch, a fortnightly newsletter highlighting significant analyst report findings for pitching to the media. He started his career in writing as an Editor-Reporter for The Associated Press.
