The Modern Customer Podcast Inside KeyBank's Approach to Customer Experience and AI
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Apr 7, 2026 Dean Contoul, Executive VP and Divisional CIO at KeyBank who leads contact center and AI-driven operations. He discusses conversational and generative AI for agent assist and knowledge management. He describes early wins like higher retention and smoother escalations. He explains blending analytics, product and ops to deliver Moments Matter and keep humans central for complex financial interactions.
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Generative AI As An Enabler For Frictionless Service
- KeyBank treats generative AI as an enabler to remove friction across employee and client experiences.
- Dean Contoul described agent assist, conversational AI, knowledge management, and future agentic AI as complementary tools driving operations improvements.
From Chatbots To A Keyboardless Contact Center
- KeyBank started with conversational AI in digital banking then piloted generative AI to summarize calls so agents skip data entry.
- Dean shared a three-year roadmap including a keyboardless contact center where AI listens and navigates procedures for agents.
AI Reduced Friction And Improved Retention
- Early AI work correlated with higher agent retention and strong NPS relative to peers.
- Dean linked reduced teammate friction and better digital-agent satisfaction to measurable people and satisfaction outcomes.