Nordea's Nova chatbot usage doubles in two years

Overview

Nordea's chatbot Nova (Nordea Virtual Agent), in service since 2017, is expected to handle close to seven million customer chat sessions in 2024, a 100% increase over two years. Nova answers simple banking questions in two seconds and uses 'deep links' that guide customers directly to a feature, such as viewing a card PIN. AI Trainers add at least 20 phrasings per intent, plus 10 tricky variations, to keep Nova understanding a wide range of customer questions.

The challenge

Customers needed a faster, more accessible way to get answers to banking-related questions than waiting on the phone or for an advisor. In 2017, chatbots reached no more than 2.5 percent of the population; the challenge was to scale and improve chatbot quality and its ability to understand a wide range of customer questions.

The solution

Nordea's chatbot Nova (Nordea Virtual Agent), in service since 2017, uses "deep links" that guide customers directly to a feature rather than providing lengthy text instructions -- for example, showing all of a customer's cards and taking them directly to the "see my PIN code" feature after they ask about a forgotten PIN. AI Trainers add at least 20 different phrasings per intent, plus at least 10 quirky/tricky variations, and Nordea does an annual deep dive into conversations with Nova to keep improving her understanding based on customer feedback.

Reported business value

Nova is expected to handle close to seven million customer chat sessions in 2024, a 100% increase over two years, and answers simple questions in two seconds with no waiting on the phone, freeing advisors to focus on more complex matters.