Business

AI powered Chatbots as personal financial advisors: Interview with Avi Ben Ezra of SnatchBot

Published

7 years ago

May 5, 2019

We live in a time where there are tremendous technological advancements. Although people have come to expect extraordinary things there still is lack of awareness as far as chatbots are concerned.

ChatBots are simply artificial intelligence entities which are running on a software program. They can be integrated into messaging apps where they can effectively perform a variety of tasks. They had been used extremely effectively in many industries where they have accomplished sophisticated tasks very efficiently. There is simply no reason why chatbots cannot be programmed to become personal financial advisors. Such a chatbot can be easily programmed to keep track of all our little daily expenses. They can issue warnings which can prevent us from overspending. There can be no doubt that there are many individuals who can benefit from this technology.

One of the companies which have already been looking at some of these possibilities is Fintech. According to Ben Ezra the CTO of SnatchBot it has been emphatically proven that a chatbot can be programmed to accomplish just about anything you can imagine. This is why it is entirely possible for financial service organizations to create something like a personal financial advisor which will be able to assist people with investments, with budgeting and with more effective spending of available finances.

What exactly could people expect to see in the nearby future?

People have already seen for themselves the tremendous impact which the Internet had on our planet in the last couple of decades. Therefore, there is justification when people think that when it comes to artificial intelligence, there are very few limits. There are very large financial institutions today that have all of the necessary resources to create very sophisticated chatbots who could literally transform the way in which people handle their finances. There will be benefits both for financial institutions and also for individuals. The cost savings for financial institutions could be substantial. Furthermore, the use of artificial intelligence will help to eliminate unnecessary human errors. Ben Ezra is particularly excited about the convenience which customers will experience. Chatbots will make it possible to effectively manage several accounts at once. It will also be entirely possible to have frequent feedback regarding the state of certain accounts and many other things.

It will be just as good as having a bank in your home or in your pocket. It is possible to conduct a whole range of automated transactions and to do frequent payments. All of this can be accomplished by making use of your chatbot and you won’t even need additional apps. People today have become spoiled by technology and therefore they have high expectations. New technologies have barely been implemented when consumers have new demands. They want more secure solutions, personalized transactions, greater speed and a higher level of consumer convenience. All of this can become possible when people are provided with a personal virtual assistant. Such an assistant will immediately respond to every message whereafter it will instantly access any customer data as well as information on a whole range of financial products.

What other surprises does artificial intelligence have in store for people?

There is a company by the name of Gartner’s who has done extensive research. The acquired data indicate that within the next year or two almost 90% of consumer interaction with their company will be accomplished without human assistance. Ben Ezra is urgently encouraging all business owners to immediately look at the tremendous benefits which can be derived from the implementation of chatbots. Just imagine having a personal financial advisor on your smartphone or on your PC which can provide you with accurate and current advice which can help you to invest your finances where the best return on investment can be guaranteed. Your personal financial advisor can also provide you with all of the information which you may require when it becomes necessary to obtain a new motor vehicle. Just imagine how much frustration can be avoided when you have a professional in your corner that can help you to organize your life and your finances. Financial experts working at large financial institutions acquire a higher level of language usage which can confuse the layman and to interact with them can be intimidating. However, now it is possible to have your own personal financial advisor who will have the ability to simplify the terminology used in finances and to translate all that complicated it terms into layman’s language.

Will there be any other benefits?

It is entirely possible to develop a chatbot that can help you analyze your finances in order to help you determine where you can cut back on expenses. One such chatbot is already operating very effectively and this AI entity is known as Trim. This is specifically a chatbot for finances that can assist the individual with a whole range of tasks. This financial chatbot can check bank balances, manage other expenses such as subscriptions and can even assist the individual in the setting up of a spending alert so that the user knows when critical levels have been reached. Such a financial chatbot is completely at home on the Facebook messenger, SMS messenger, and many similar applications. According to statistics, the chatbot Trim has been instrumental in helping a large number of users save more than $6 million.

Conclusion

The benefits of having a personal financial advisor are just about immeasurable. So many mistakes are made because people forget. This can result in many financial problems such as additional interest and fines for late paying. However, having a chatbot as a personal financial advisor can help a person to avoid all of these frustrating human shortcomings. Because once a chatbot has been informed about anything it can never forget unless it becomes a victim of a critical system failure. But even then most reputable chatbot companies such as SnatchBot will always have backup systems in place to ensure that the consumer does not suffer any unnecessary harm. There is no reason why you should not benefit from a personal financial advisor. The technology is available and the benefits far outweigh the cost of implementation.

Suggested reading: Follow weekly news by Avi Ben Ezra or access his personal site here.

Youtube video – A vision of the future, by SnatchBot:

Business

Ipsos Helps Brands Understand How They Get Customer Experience Wrong & Why It’s Costing Them Millions

Published

4 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Matthew Wiles

For brands looking to succeed in the modern business ecosystem, the customer experience (CX) is not something companies can afford to ignore. CX is a direct driver of revenue, loyalty, and growth for organizations.

Ipsos, one of the world’s leading market research firms, helps brands understand that failing to focus on the customer experience can lead to lost sales, which in turn can translate to not only millions in lost revenue but also lost trust and credibility in the market.

How brands still get CX wrong

“The customer decision and desire to do business with brands directly affect the bottom line,” says Brad Christian, Chief Commercial Officer at Ipsos – Experience Practice.

Customer experience may sound like a simple concept, but many brands still get it wrong. CX goes beyond surveys and feedback. Leaders who fail to connect feedback in a meaningful way to goals such as retention, repeat visits or purchases, advocacy, and operational performance fail to deliver on their service promises. The emotional and functional disconnect can spell trouble for brands. The most polished advertising campaigns cannot make up for a frustrating customer interaction or a promise that a business cannot fulfill.

According to Ipsos’s internal research, many customers today see service as too automated and impersonal. More than half report that their experience is worse than promised.

These findings don’t just result in disappointed buyers. They result in lost customers, negative feedback, and a long-term impact on the business as a whole.

“Brands have to manage the entire customer experience across each and every touchpoint,” explains Christian.

Poor CX can be expensive

Executives can often underestimate how expensive a history of poor CX can be. Global losses can reach into the billions while leaders wonder what went wrong. In an age of rapid social media communication, a single negative interaction can spell disaster for a company, leading to reduced customer spending or the entire loss of its most loyal customers.

Those losses are not just reflected in lost revenue, however. Customer acquisition and marketing dollars can also be lost as companies continue to spend money trying to retain their customer base, often skipping right over the experience part of retention.

Poor customer experience can be a deep operating problem that creates a domino effect, decimating businesses from the inside out. These poor experiences can impact not only present and future customer acquisition but also business leaders and employees.

CX matters more in today’s business landscape

The customer experience has always mattered, but it may matter more to brands trying to make it in a modern, ultra-competitive, digitally-driven business landscape. Good experiences encourage repeat purchases, boost loyalty, and increase the likelihood that customers will go online and recommend a brand to others.

“Customer experience isn’t an isolated function,” says Christian. “It’s ‌part of a larger system that ensures that brands measure and manage customer experience data and then act on that data to drive action where customer experience gaps exist.”

Brands also have to seek to understand today’s customers, who expect experiences that are seamless, authentic, and relevant. As more and more companies hop on the automation train, they will want to reassure their customers that the human element that many people consider important still exists.

At Ipsos, six drivers of strong customer relationships form the bedrock of the company’s CX platform, something that they refer to as the “Forces of CX”: certainty, fair treatment, control, status, belonging, and enjoyment.

Customers want to feel that if they have an issue with a brand, it will be handled and that their concerns will be understood. They don’t want the customer experience to feel like a battleground; they want it to feel fair and human.

“Customer experience isn’t just a nicer experience,” says Christian. “It ties directly to specific financial outcomes, whether that be increased sales, greater market share, or stronger brand loyalty.”

How Ipsos helps businesses deliver customer experiences that matter

Ipsos turns customer feedback into reliable, actionable, decision-ready information. The company goes beyond simple satisfaction metrics and implements voice-of-the-customer programs, journey analytics, relationship feedback, and quality research.

“Brands don’t just need data,” Christian says. “They need measurements as to how they are delivering on their brand promise and predictive modeling to tie financial performance measures to those measures to help them determine where to invest to maximize the customer experience and understand what financial impact those investments might deliver for the business.”

Ipsos measures the interactions that matter ‌most and shows brands how each interaction can affect retention, share of spend, and efficiency. For brands that are trying to reduce the guesswork behind CX, Ipsos helps them move beyond cosmetic fixes to achieve real, meaningful change.

Customer expectations can shift on a dime, influenced by society, social media, and even changing trends. Ipsos helps brands meet those rapidly changing customer expectations with hard evidence and comprehensive metrics.

Today’s brands need to understand how to get the customer experience right. Ipsos has the insights needed to drive home the deep importance of CX in today’s marketplace.