E-Business
FirstBank Makes Over its FirstContact
First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s financial powerhouse has upgraded their contact center called FirstContact to an interactive, multilingual and 24/7 customer service center, in line with global best practices and the quest to drive instant access to its products and services.
FirstContact, a major initiative of FirstBank was first created in 2008 to give customers increased access to banking services. With the recent upgrade, particularly the introduction of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, the bank aims to provide customers with a state-of-the-art platform that offers a higher level of confidential banking by phone and enables the customer carry out several transactions by simply following a set of voice prompts and making selections on phones keypad.
The upgrade also ensures easy access to information on customer care initiatives in Pidgin, Yoruba, Ibo, and Hausa.
This is designed to provide a wider platform for customer feedback while also facilitating faster issue resolution ensuring immediate resolution issue immediate resolution/response to the customer.
With the enhanced FirstContact, customers can initiate and conclude several enquiries and transactions without having to leave the comfort of their homes or visit the banking hall. The new features include: Self Services, Funds Transfer with the IVR system, Bills Payment, Live web chat, SMS to short code and the Multi-Lingual services.
The Live Web Chat feature gives customers a platform for real time interface with agents of the Bank via the Internet.
Folake Ani-Mumuney, head, Marketing and Corporate Communications said FirstContact was designed to provide world class customer service via phone and e-mail interactions.
Ani-Mumuney said it serves as the first point of contact between the bank and its customers and also acts as an intermediary between customers and other subsidiaries within the group.
“The upgrade of the contact center is another demonstration of our passion for constantly seeking innovative ways of giving our existing and prospective customers the best service possible. The new features will ensure our customers across the globe enjoy quicker access to banking services and speedy resolution of their enquiries,” she said.
She said the bank is committed to making banking services convenient, while creating opportunities for the under banked and unbanked to become part of the financial system.
“The FirstContact platform is secure, efficient, convenient and very user-friendly. We encourage our customers to avail themselves of the services the contact center provides even as the Bank continues to seek ways of enhancing its service across all touch points.”
Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of enterprise software engineers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) code assistants, up from less than 10 percent, currently.
According to a Gartner poll of 598 global respondents conducted in the third quarter of 2023, 63 percent of organisations are now testing, deploying, or have previously implemented AI code assistants.
AI code assistants provide for more capabilities than only code development and completion, notes the research firm.
According to Gartner, the use of AI code assistants can lead to higher work satisfaction and retention, resulting in lower turnover costs.
Philip Walsh, senior principal analyst at Gartner, comments: “Software engineering leaders must determine ROI and build a business case as they scale their rollouts of AI code assistants.
“However, traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner notes that software engineering leaders must “reframe the ROI conversation from cost reduction to value generations”.
Walsh adds: “Calculating time savings on code generation is a good place to begin building a more robust value story. To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said that the planned national ID card will be issued to applicants by their banks.
NIMC said it is working with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) to deliver the cards to applicants.
“The card will be issued through the applicants’ respective banks in line with existing protocols with the issuance of the Debit/Credit cards,” the agency said at the weekend update on its official X handle.
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE PROPOSED NEW GENERAL MULTIPURPOSE NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD
- The new National ID Card is a single, convenient, and General multipurpose card (GMPC) , eliminating the need for multiple cards—not three.
- The single GMPC has multiple use cases:…
— NIMC (@nimc_ng) April 12, 2024
It said applicants need to request their cards with their NIN “through the self-service online portal, NIMC offices, or their respective banks”.
“The card will be powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, an indigenous scheme powered by NIBSS,” NIMC said.
“The card can be picked up by holders at the designated center or delivered to the applicants at the requested location at an extra cost to be borne by the applicants,” the update read.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said that the new national Identity card, powered by AfriGo Card, is a single card with multiple services.
NIMC made the clarification against the confusion and criticisms that have trailed the AfriGo Card , touted as a National Domestic Card Scheme.
NIMC is launching the AfriGo Card, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS), and has had appointed SecureID, a Lagos headquartered company to manufacture the Card Scheme
Making clarification on the card, Kayode Adegoke, head of Corporate Communications of the NIMC, said the General multipurpose card (GMPC) will eliminate the need for multiple cards.
“The new National ID Card is a single, convenient, and General multi-purpose card (GMPC), eliminating the need for multiple cards—not three.
“The single GMPC has multiple use cases: Payments/Financial, Government intervention/services, travel, etc.
“The National Identity Management Commission is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System to deliver the payment and financial use cases.
“The card will be powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, an indigenous scheme powered by NIBSS. Applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through the self-service online portal, NIMC offices, or their respective banks.
“The card will be issued through the applicants’ respective banks, in line with existing protocols with the issuance of the Debit/Credit cards.
“The card can be picked up by holders at the designated centre or delivered to the applicants at the requested location at an extra cost to be borne by the applicants,” he said.
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