Colombo, Sri Lanka -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/10/2017 --Lauded as Sri Lanka's most digitally engaging bank, Seylan Bank expanded its digital customer support services by introducing the Seylan Messenger Bot – a chat bot that responds to customer queries via Facebook Messenger. The latest addition to the bank's customer service channels helps provide real-time responses to basic banking and finance queries. The number of fans on its facebook page increased to more than 500,000 fans during the year 2016 and launched a novel youth product Seylan Seylfie which offers Digital interest and banking on Facebook recently.

As the fastest-growing social and messaging apps, WhatsApp and Facebook messenger are used commonly by customers and now the bank empowers them to use the chat bot on messenger with nearly 1 billion active users globally to interact and engage with the bank.

"At Seylan Bank, we have constantly worked to augment our customer support services and expand our footprint. This latest addition to our service portfolio is one of the many digital innovations the bank has introduced in the recent past. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are two fast-growing messaging applications used frequently by customers. As banking and finance institutions, we need to accommodate new technology and social media that will improve our customer engagement. As a growing number of services shift to the digital sphere, customers seek a bank that also evolves according to their preferences. By branching out to a platform used daily by customers, we enable ease of access and convenience for our customers," commented Mr. Kapila Ariyaratne, Director/CEO.

Apart from the Seylan Messenger Bot, Seylan Bank also previously launched social media-based customer support channels via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in order to facilitate seamless interaction and customer support while customers are on the go and through their handheld devices. The bank will complete its 29th anniversary in March and has embarked on a growth drive to expand and develop its services and consolidate its position as one of the leading banks in the country.

"Seylan bank receives over 100 inquiries per day on its digitally assisted customer service channels. The Seylan Messenger Bot will minimize the response lag between queries while also freeing up our customer support personnel to take on more complex queries. Through the Seylan Messenger Bot customers can avail of basic banking information in an instant. For instance, if a customer asks how to open a current account, the Messenger Bot will automatically guide the customer to the relevant page or section. The customer will have the information they need within seconds without the hassle of calling the contact centre or having to search online. Further the world's top 4 messaging apps have over 3.5 billion active users and customer communication behaviour has evolved due to same. Our internal teams along with our collaborative partners are geared to connect, respond and engage in a timely manner through these channels since customers expect instant responses and the Chat bot will provide same 24/7, 365 days" said Mr. Tilan Wijeyesekera, Deputy General Manager, Marketing and Personal Banking, explaining how the Messenger Bot would work.

Globally, very few banks have adopted the use of social networks and Seylan Bank is proud to be one of the few in the world to utilize these channels to deliver exceptional customer service. Pioneering these digital services in the country's banking sector, will strengthen our customer relationships as well as Seylan Bank's brand equity. Seylan Bank occupies a unique positioning as a flexible, customer-friendly choice which upholds its relationship with customers. It's proven relationship-driven service has helped it amass a large loyal customer base of over 1.5 million which has built their utmost faith in the bank. As a customer-centric bank, it has devised a unique innovative product portfolio that meets and exceeds expectations of its customers. As a result, its SME, minor savings, retail, corporate and credit card customer base has been steadily expanding. The bank has ambitious plans of expanding its presence further into new geographically strategic locations around the country and Seylan Bank is proud to be one of the few banks in the world to utilize the power of social media and digital platforms to deliver superior customer support service.