Help Yourself - New Online Question and Answer Service Helps Thousands of Customers.

MANCHESTER - The Co-operative Financial Services has launched a new interactive web self-service solution to improve customer experience on its website www.co-operativebank.co.uk.

This new intelligent web self-service allows customers to get fast, accurate answers to queries about products, services and finance on The Co-operative Bank website. The service has been instantly adopted by the bank’s customer’s whose queries are now being answered online.

The Co-operative Financial Services launched the system to further the service they offer to all their current and potential customers and maintain its award-winning service levels. The system enables customers to find answers to specific questions as well as navigating them to the correct webpage that contains further details.

Examples of the type of questions that can be answered include:

1. Do you have any branches near me?

2. What current accounts do you do?

3. How can I pay money into my account?

Sean Barton, E-Business Manager at the Co-operative Financial Services, said: “Ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction is key at The Co-operative Financial Services, however we are not resting in our laurels and always looking for different way to better our customer service and broaden our offerings. Following extensive research into how our customers use our website, we knew web self-service would be vital to improve the customer experience. “

Notes to Editors:

ISDN facilities are available for broadcast media interviews.

*Transversal

The Co-operative Financial Services web self-service is powered by Transversal, a Cambridge-based developer of multi-channel eService solutions for customer-facing websites and contact centres that achieve high-impact wins on improved service, reduced costs and increased sales.

**Which? award:

The Co-operative Bank has been awarded another top accolade, by winning the prestigious 2009 Which? award for ‘Best Financial Services Provider’.

The awards based on research by Which? recognise the best performers across core retail sectors, including mortgages, credit cards and current accounts. In the case of The Co-operative Bank, and given the backdrop of the economic crisis, the award also recognises the trust associated with The Co-operative brand, its unique ethical policy and the prudent way in which it has managed its finances throughout the credit crunch.

The Co-operative Financial Services is part of The Co-operative Group, which is the world’s largest consumer co-operative with over 3 million members. CFS currently has 5.5m customers and employs over 8,000 staff. It has 116 retail and corporate branches/centres and over 1,000 face to face financial advisers. It has GBP38bn of assets under management across its retail and corporate business areas. Including the Co-operative insurance, leading home insurance (www.co-operativeinsurance.co.uk/home) and car insurance (www.co-operativeinsurance.co.uk/car )providers.

Full Contact Details: The Co-operative Insurance Miller Street Manchester M60 0AL +44-(0)161-903-3808

Website: www.co-operativeinsurance.co.uk/

Source: Co-operative Financial Services

Full Contact Details: The Co-operative Insurance, Miller Street, Manchester, M60 0AL, +44-(0)161-903-3808, alejandra.solis at cfs.coop