When most people think about artificial intelligence (AI) in the contact center, a few familiar themes tend to come to mind: bots, automation, and the promise of greater efficiency and cost savings. These associations aren’t wrong, but they only tell part of the story. Within a digital banking platform, a growing number of contact center leaders and executives are beginning to recognize another, equally important dimension of AI–one that goes beyond operational gains to fundamentally enhance the account holder and agent experience.
Expand Your View of What AI Can Do
Instead of focusing solely on end user-facing applications, consider how agent-facing AI can now also become a co-pilot that works alongside customer service representatives to make their jobs more efficient, easier and rewarding.
Ironically, AI is now capable of helping your frontline agents do what they do best–establishing human connections and deepening the relationships with your customers and members within the digital banking platform.
By providing agents with instant information, feedback and assistance, the job can now be radically altered in ways that benefit the employees themselves, as well as the organizations they work for and the customers and members they serve.
For my agents, they can now focus on the conversations that need human intervention. So to me, it's all about making interacting with the organization even easier and more convenient than ever before.
–VP, Delivery Channels (Southeast-based credit union)
Inside the Customer Service Experience: Pressure, Purpose, and Potential
Ask anyone who’s ever “worn the headset,” and you’ll hear a familiar story — the role can be demanding, fast-paced, and often emotionally charged. Call after call, chat after chat, agents are the frontline problem-solvers, helping customers and members who are often frustrated or anxious and looking for quick resolutions.
The challenge is that instead of starting each interaction with insight and confidence, many agents begin at a disadvantage. They don’t always know who they’ll be speaking with next, why that person is reaching out, or what they’ll need. Before they can focus fully on delivering help and empathy, they have to navigate authentication, diagnosis, and multiple systems — a process that takes valuable time and energy.
I think the new AI tools allow your workforce to be more stable because they're not stressed out by things that are constantly changing. And so, you save on the cost of training people because your people stay longer.
–VP, Customer Success (NY-based bank)
A New Kind of Support: AI at the Agent’s Side
Let’s take a look at three ways agent-facing virtual assistance can radically change the nature of what it means to be a frontline customer service representative.
- Meeting Customers and Members Where They Are
Imagine if agents could begin a conversation with a user in context, in the middle of the interaction, rather than at the beginning. If the virtual assistant has already greeted the user, guiding them through the steps of authentication and identifying their need before the live agent even says hello, that changes everything.Instead of: “Hi, I’m Rick, how can I help you today?”
What if the representative started the conversation with: “Hello, Rick DeLisi, it looks like you’re trying to apply for an auto loan. I can help you with that. In fact, I’ve already started the process.”
Can you spot the differences between those two interactions? Same two people (one agent and one account holder), same issue (auto loan) but a very different experience for both.
- Suggesting Real-Time Responses
Agent-facing AI learns the best practices of every frontline agent in your operation for all of the most common issue types, and instantly offers that information to other agents in the form of tips and suggested responses.Even the newest frontliner can operate with the wisdom and confidence of an experienced representative when they’re being provided with in-the-moment coaching customized to the exact need this user is relying on them to resolve. - Automating Post-Call Work
One of the most laborious yet important tasks in the world of contact centers is everything that happens after the interaction is over. Agents are required to capture information about this user, their specific issues, how the problem was resolved and any other notes that would be helpful for further tracking and analysis.Finding the right balance has always been a challenge. Spend too long on post-call documentation, and average handle time (AHT) goes up. Move too quickly, and valuable context may be lost. For agents and supervisors alike, it’s been a constant tradeoff — until now.
With AI-powered virtual assistants, post-call work becomes faster, smarter, and more accurate. As soon as the interaction ends, agents receive a pre-filled summary screen with all the key details captured automatically. They simply review, make quick edits if needed, and click “send.” The result? Richer data for the business, and more time for agents to focus on what really matters: helping the next customer or member.
I had one of the agents that was the most reluctant to trust the virtual assistant who is now one of the higher adopters of using that technology. So we're all growing day by day with how much more we use it.
–Contact Center Manager (Northwest-based credit union)
Who Are the Most Influential People At Your Company?
Without diminishing the critical role of your C-suite, it’s worth recognizing that your frontline employees often have the greatest impact. They’re the ones who connect directly with your customers and members who are interacting with your digital banking platform. For financial institutions built on relationships, your representatives are one of your biggest assets and differentiators.
When you make their work simpler, smarter, and more supported, you create a ripple effect: reduced account holder effort, greater satisfaction, stronger loyalty, and ultimately, measurable business growth. And with the help of agent-facing AI, empowering your frontline has never been more achievable.
Want to learn more? Chat with an Alkami representative to explore how Glia and Alkami are transforming digital customer service for financial institutions.
