Currencies Direct, the leading UK-based international payments service, has today announced the adoption of an innovative customer engagement platform, in partnership with German-based firm Userlane.

Userlane is a cutting-edge user navigation system, providing clear and actionable directions directly to users. The solution will allow users to seamlessly navigate Currencies Direct’s range of online features without the need to move away from the task they are doing.

The service will sit alongside Currencies Direct’s suite of customer engagement points, with phone, email and online chat with a customer service representative still available.

“Providing the highest level of service to our customers remains our top priority and therefore we’re always finding ways to better support our customers,” explains Hardik Shah, Group Head of Product at Currencies Direct.

“Many organisations have switched to virtual support through a chatbot. Our goal is to provide a frictionless and easy journey for our customers. After thorough testing, we found Userlane to be a more appropriate solution than the use of chatbots – particularly for customers who may not be digital natives. Our preference is to provide our customers with a range of support channels that suit their needs and Userlane is ideally placed as a complementary channel to the existing ones in place.

“We’ve currently steered away from chatbots as they can add an extra barrier for users who may already be frustrated with their experience and are then forced to go through a chatbot screening process before being connected with a real human.”

Currencies Direct aims to use Userlane’s functionality to increase customer satisfaction and improve overall retention. The new feature will also be used to reduce query calls, allowing the customer service team in creating in creating additional value for customers.

The Userlane functionality will initially be rolled out to help customers with making transfers, adding recipients, and viewing previous transactions.

The organisation plans to run an ongoing evaluation process to assess the solution’s impact and iteratively develop the offering to maximise the customer experience.

“As AI technology advances, digital service channels will continue to grow and may become mainstream – but we’re not there yet,” explains Shah.

“Currently, combined with chat and phone support, Userlane offers our customers the most clear and concise help process – ultimately providing them with the highest standard of service, which is always our goal.”