OREANDA-NEWS. Ally Bank, the direct banking subsidiary of Ally Financial Inc., (NYSE: ALLY) was presented with two Gold and one Silver Stevie® Awards in the tenth annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service for its Ally Assist? virtual assistant technology in the Ally Mobile Banking app for iPhone®. 

The bank received a Gold Award for Innovation in Customer Service - Financial Services Industries, which recognizes new ideas and developments within customer service that enabled organizations to meet the needs of their customers more effectively, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. It also received a Gold Award in the Business Intelligence Solution - New category, which recognizes new and new-version solutions for sales, contact center, and customer service operations. Ally received the Silver Award for Best Use of Technology - Bank, which recognizes companies for their use of technology that has directly improved customer service.  

Ally Assist was launched in May 2015 in the Ally Mobile Banking app for iPhone. Using automated intelligence and customer data profiles, Ally Assist analyzes a customer's accounts and transactions to generate useful information including smart reminders, potential issues, financial recommendations and much more. The service also acts as a virtual assistant in responding to specific customer requests, via speech or typed entries, to provide customers with timely responses and information based on their specific needs.

As one of the first banks to offer customers this type of personalization and customization in a mobile app, Ally Bank is in the forefront of the growing demand across the industry for greater personalization.

"Entries to the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service continue to grow every year, further validating the essential roles that business development, customer service, and sales play in business success," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. "The widespread support of this program made the 2016 competition that much more intense among finalists. The judges were deeply impressed by the winner's accomplishments and we congratulate all of the winners on their commitment to excellence and innovation."

Ally Bank was also recognized last week with a 2016 Blue Diamond Award for the recent redesign of its online banking platform. The Blue Diamond Awards, presented by It-oLogy, recognize exceptional technology, talent and innovation in the Greater Charlotte region. 

Approximately one-half of Ally Bank's retail deposit customers use online banking, and the new platform provides streamlined navigation, faster login, a consolidated snapshot of all accounts, and greater flexibility and control in introducing future enhancements. In addition, the online banking platforms across smartphones, tablets and computers are now consistent experiences, which is important as more and more customers choose to access their accounts across multiple devices.

"Innovation is at the foundation of Ally Bank, in terms of the service experience we provide to our customers and the products and features we provide them," said Diane Morais, chief executive officer and president of the Ally Bank subsidiary. "Our redesigned online banking platform and Ally Assist are illustrative of how we are delivering differentiated experiences to enhance the Ally Bank customer experience, and we are very honored to receive these recognitions."

About Ally Bank
Ally Bank is a direct bank in the U.S. that offers a straightforward approach to banking with no minimum deposit required to open an account, no monthly maintenance fees and 24/7 live customer service. A subsidiary of Ally Financial Inc., the Bank offers online savings, interest checking, money market accounts, certificates of deposit with terms ranging from three months to five years, and IRA Plans and products. Member FDIC.

About The Stevie Awards
The Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The American Business Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. A seventh program, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, will debut in April 2016.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.