SINGAPORE - OCBC Bank customers are getting faster responses and an improved experience, as the bank leverages data analytics to enhance its service.

In 2023, just over half of the customers – 52 per cent – calling OCBC were able to reach a service staff within 60 seconds. By 2025, that figure had increased to 80 per cent.

To support this effort, the bank set up a regional service analytics team in 2024 to use data to proactively identify and address recurring customer issues.

Common problems include customers unable to use their new credit cards because they forgot to activate them, and elderly customers failing to complete purchases because they were still using their old cards, having forgotten their new ones.

Customers travelling abroad also tend to forget to unlock their cards for overseas spending in advance.

When OCBC detects that customers have encountered any of the common issues, it immediately sends them a push notification or SMS explaining what had happened and how they can resolve the issue themselves, such as by directing them to the bank’s app. This helps them resume their transactions quickly without needing to call the bank.

Dennis Lee, OCBC head of group service channels and transformation, said: “We were actually able to reduce quite a significant volume of calls.”

This is in line with the bank’s “next frontier” strategy to harness artificial intelligence, digital technology and data (ADD) to drive customer centricity.

“It is about using ADD to be more predictive in our play – moving from being reactive in resolution towards more proactive prevention,” said Lee.

Other initiatives include a generative AI-powered dashboard to detect patterns and re...