Customer Servicing Evolution
Varo Bank
A capable, more powerful way for customers to manage their accounts and get support when they need it.
My role
Uncovering unrealized opportunities
Beginning my journey with Varo
I joined Varo during a period of rapid expansion in order to apply my extensive experience in established fintech spaces to strategically guide and elevate Varo's emerging digital capabilities.
Identifying opportunities
To quickly familiarize myself with Varo's web and native mobile offerings, as well as its range of services, I conducted a comprehensive audit. This assessment aimed to pinpoint strategic opportunities where I could deliver significant value to both customers and the company's bottom line.
Customer support stands out as an opportunity
Absent self-servicing functionality
Through my audit, I uncovered several critical service enhancement opportunities. Among the most prominent deficiencies were the nearly absent self-service options and the cumbersome customer experience of having to call Varo support, enduring lengthy wait times, even for minor issues.
Because Varo is a digital-first bank, it has no physical locations to connect in-person. This increases the opportunity value of digital self-servicing capabilities.
Ensuring long term IA extensibility
Championing a “Settings” IA refresh
I prioritized providing a dedicated, personalized hub that gives customers the ability to customize their banking experience in a way that works for them. A space where they can make updates to their personal information, receive bespoke updates, and get assistance.
The most logical existing space that could be leveraged was the "Settings" space. However, “Settings” was becoming a junk drawer for various features that didn’t have a permanent place within the overall IA, such as Varo Advance and incentive programs.
Building a strong foundation for customer service
Prioritizing quick wins
Working closely with the servicing product owner, we assessed the functionality gaps that significantly contributed to the high call volume. We then prioritized a series of rapid productization sprints to tackle the most impactful enhancements.
Extending table stakes functionality
We expanded customer capabilities to include updates for email, mailing address, password, and username. These straightforward additions led to a remarkable 43% reduction in phone contact volume, allowing us to redirect our efforts towards more substantial and innovative support solutions.
AI powered support that's there when you need it
Crafting a vision
In order to foster a more profound discussion about the strategic trajectory of the servicing team, I crafted a comprehensive long-term vision proposal.
This vision places AI at the core, driving and enhancing every aspect of our servicing operations.
Imagining the possibilities
We set out to provide an unparalleled dispute resolution experience that sets crystal clear expectations and delivers confidence-boosting status updates, all conveniently accessible through a user-friendly searchable chat interface. This fosters lasting customer loyalty, as you can trust that Varo has got your back at all times.
An intelligent Varo goes beyond the ordinary, proactively anticipating your needs through an in-depth analysis of your behaviors, account status, and the shared patterns of customers who align with your banking habits to provide you with tailored solutions even before you realize you need them.
Collectively creating a shared understanding and vision of servicing
Collaborating with research
In close collaboration with our research team, we initiated a series of exercises within our immediate team. These activities aimed to swiftly pinpoint customer pain points and identify opportunities based on anecdotal information we had gathered and comments shared by customer service leads.
Increasing the scope of research
To enhance our research efforts, we broadened our approach to encompass a blend of one-on-one interviews, group discussions, and real-time call monitoring with customer service representatives. These sessions allowed us to construct a holistic view of both customer challenges and the daily routines of our representatives. In doing so, we uncovered the most demanding and emotionally taxing issues faced by both parties.
It became evident that extended wait times and sluggish processes for even the simplest issues not only eroded customer trust but also made urgent situations seem nearly intolerable.
Applying our learnings
Having established the scalable IA dashboard "My Varo" and implemented fundamental servicing features, we were armed with valuable insights from both customers and customer service representatives. This knowledge served as a solid foundation for the ideation process, particularly in the development of an AI-driven chat solution.
This chat feature has the potential to offer answers to frequently asked questions, seamlessly direct users to in-app resources, display pertinent information without leaving the chat interface (such as dispute status), and facilitate connections with live customer service representatives.
How a customer finds answers when things go wrong
During the ideation of initial entry point wireframes, I posed critical questions to guide the design process.
"What would be the simplest and most user-friendly method for customers to access the chat feature?"
"How could we make it effortless for them to return to an ongoing chat conversation?"
"What would be the most intuitive way for customers to revisit previous chat interactions?"
"What minimal viable product (MVP) features can we realistically introduce to bring us closer to our ultimate goal?"
These considerations were instrumental in shaping the user experience and ensuring alignment with our long-term objectives.
Logic diagram
A familiar chat look and feel
We embarked on an in-depth exploration of visual solutions for the Varo chat interface and its associated components.
Our primary objective was to seamlessly integrate these elements into the Varo app ecosystem, creating a harmonious and cohesive experience, as we were styling a white labeled chat experience from 24/7ai.
Our handoff
Entry point
Customers can find the Varo chat experience within the My Varo dashboard, under Help and support.
If they have received a message from a representative, badging will be displayed to inform them of the correspondence, as well as guide them back to Varo chat.
Chat experience
The Varo chat feature provides users with a comprehensive range of options designed to facilitate efficient interactions with the virtual assistant. These options are pulled from frequently asked questions (FAQs) and relevant behavioral customer data, such as dispute status.
For those who prefer a more personalized touch, our system allows users to initiate a live chat with one of our representatives at their convenience. To enhance transparency and user experience, accurate estimated wait times are displayed, ensuring that customers can make informed decisions about their interactions.
Hear the full study from kickoff to impact
Learn more about the specific features I was responsible for, research, and more.