Scaling Customer Service with AI for a Leading Bank in the Philippines

As digital engagement grew exponentially that is a leading Philippine bank faced mounting customer service demands. Manual support channels were becoming unsustainable, prompting the need for a scalable, intelligent solution. In 2019 the bank began its AI transformation journey partnering with BRAIN POINT to design and deploy an advanced virtual assistant capable of handling high volumes of inquiries with speed, accuracy & empathy. The result: Erica who is an AI powered virtual assistant that today handles over 600,000 interactions annually, dramatically reducing support costs and transforming customer experience.

The Challenge

As digital adoption increased, the bank struggled with:

● High call volumes and limited agent bandwidth
● Repetitive inquiries are slowing down agent productivity
● Rising customer expectations for 24/7 service
● Operational inefficiencies and service delays

The bank needed a cost effective AI first solution to manage its growing customer base and ensure consistently excellent service across digital touchpoints

The AI-Powered Solution by BRAIN POINT

Introducing Erica – The AI Virtual Assistant

BRAIN POINT collaborated closely with the bank’s innovation and customer service teams to develop Erica (Electronic RCBC Interactive Customer Assistant), a multi-channel, AI powered virtual assistant built on advanced NLP and conversational AI capabilities. Launched in July 2022, Erica was initially trained for 4 core use cases. Over time, it scaled to manage 9+ high-volume customer service functions including:

● Balance inquiries
● Credit card activation
● Rewards redemption
● Payment due reminders
● Account FAQs

Erica was seamlessly integrated across the bank’s mobile app, website & other digital channels.

Key Results & Impact

1. Significant Cost Savings & Fast ROI
● In 2023 Erica deflected over 6,00,000 conversations from live agents.
●It achieved a PHP 22 million in cost savings in one year.
●It delivered a positive ROI within the first 12 months far ahead of projections.
2. Enhanced Customer Experience
● An 80% increase in chatbot adoption with post rewards redemption integration.
● Erica’s response time and accuracy outperformed traditional service channels.
● The Customer satisfaction scores for AI assisted journeys now surpass human only support.
3. Increased Agent Efficiency
● The Live agents now focus on complex high value interactions.
● Erica handles repetitive queries autonomously reducing agent burnout.
● It enabled the creation of an AI augmented support model balancing automation and human empathy.

The Future of AI at the Bank

With the success of Erica, the bank is extending its AI roadmap beyond support:

● Proactive customer engagement using predictive AI models
● AI-assisted fraud detection and transaction monitoring
● Integration with Generative AI to enhance personalization in responses
● Expansion into voice-based virtual assistants and intelligent IVR systems

Key Takeaways for Enterprises Adopting AI

Gen AI is No Longer Optional
To scale customer service without exponentially increasing headcount, AI must be part of the core service strategy.
. Strategic AI Adoption Delivers Fast ROI
With proper use case identification and phased rollout, organizations like this bank can achieve measurable returns within months.
AI Adoption Depends on Customer Education
Marketing efforts, agent-led onboarding, and transparent communication helped drive Erica’s 80% adoption surge.

Conclusion

This case highlights how BRAIN POINT empowered a leading Philippine bank to modernize its customer service operations using AI-driven automation. By deploying a smart, scalable virtual assistant and establishing a future-ready AI foundation, the bank not only enhanced efficiency and reduced costs but also delivered a customer experience aligned with digital-age expectations.

BRAIN POINT continues to partner with the bank on future AI enhancements, setting new benchmarks in intelligent banking service delivery.