Hong Leong Bank (HLB) is teaming up with IBM to boost customer support for its 700,000 credit card customers through IBM Watson’s cognitive computing capabilities. It is the first Malaysian bank and organisation to work with IBM Malaysia using Watson.
The offering – which is scheduled to go live in four to six months – will provide clients with round-the-clock access to information about general credit card terms, policies and procedures through its live chat function.
HLB’s chief operating officer for customer experience and analytics, Edward Pinto, indicates that customers would also be able to find the most suitable card to match their lifestyle needs.
"IBM Watson allows us to understand the context of customer needs and preferences, which will reduce call-waiting time and ensure greater consistency and accuracy of information," Pinto said.
IBM Malaysia managing director Chong Chye Neo said that in the initial stage of the multi-year programme, Watson will help HLB analyse large volumes of data. This includes research reports, product information and customer profiles. It would then be able to identify connections between customers’ needs and weigh the various financial options available.
Chong says Watson’s cognitive ability allows the system to understand natural language and detect emotions. She added that it would be able to predict changes in customer needs and recommend new services to address those needs, and will also be able to remember customer preferences to improve customer experience.

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