Bank of Tennessee has always believed that great banking begins with great relationships. As a community-focused institution serving customers across Tennessee and North Carolina, their mission is to provide secure, reliable and people-first financial services rooted in trust. But as digital expectations accelerated and customers sought faster, more consistent support, the bank realized its legacy communication systems were holding the organization back.

Their on-premises phone system required constant hardware maintenance and offered little flexibility. Their contact center operated on basic voice queues without omnichannel capabilities. And at a time when customers expect immediate, accurate support, response times slowed and inconsistencies surfaced.

“We have to be right every day,” said Dwight Goodwin, Director of IT at Bank of Tennessee. “Our customers trust us with their most important information, so reliability and accuracy are everything.”

Modernizing for a new era of customer expectations

The bank began exploring cloud-based communication platforms that could improve efficiency and strengthen customer experience. They needed a secure system that would protect sensitive data, simplify how agents accessed information and reduce the complications of maintaining hardware across 22+ branch locations.

The challenges were real:

• Response times depended entirely on human availability.
  Agents relied on manual searches through long procedures.
• Inconsistent answers created customer frustration.
• Aging hardware increased the risk of outages and support delays.

For a community bank, any disruption could have outsized effects. Bank of Tennessee needed a solution that would elevate customer experience without compromising security or stability.

Building a modern communication foundation with Lumen

The bank partnered with Lumen to transition from their legacy systems to a secure, cloud-based foundation using Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center. Because Lumen had been a trusted network provider for years, the relationship made the transformation seamless from the start.

The partnership also provided access to Lumen’s platinum-level Zoom expertise, backed by more than 600 certifications held across Lumen teams in areas like Zoom Phone, Customer Experience (ZCX), and Cloud Peering—a differentiator that gave Bank of Tennessee confidence as they moved into new technology.

Harnessing the power of AI for fast, more accurate support

The bank’s next major step was implementing Zoom AI Expert Assist. This AI-powered tool analyzes customer inquiries in near real time, identifies intent and presents agents with the correct procedures instantly.

The bank uploaded its entire procedures manual into Zoom’s Knowledge Base. From there, AI matched common questions—such as how to stop payment on a check or reset an online banking password—with the appropriate workflows.

Agents no longer had to search through pages of documentation. AI delivered answers immediately. Smart Notes then captured summaries of each interaction, reducing manual documentation and creating consistent, clear records.

These enhancements helped the bank:

• Respond to customers faster.
• Ensure answers were accurate and consistent.
• Reduce strain on agents.
• Adapt quickly when processes changed.

A smooth, supported implementation

Rolling out Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center across more than 22 branches required careful coordination. Lumen worked side-by-side with Bank of Tennessee’s IT team, managing on-site device transitions, configuring the portal, and ensuring each office had what it needed to switch over without disruption.

The contact center cutover was especially sensitive. Lumen maintained direct, frequent communication and resolved issues quickly to help ensure the bank’s customer service operations never missed a beat.

“Lumen exceeded our expectations,” Goodwin said. “They stayed engaged from start to finish and delivered the level of partnership we hadn’t seen from other telecom providers.”

Ready for the future of banking

The bank is already looking ahead to how AI can continue improving operations. With Zoom AI Expert Assist in place, they plan to leverage analytics to identify where workflows can be refined, retrain intent models and continue increasing efficiency and ROI.

Lumen will remain a strategic partner as they expand their capabilities. With secure network infrastructure, certified support and deep experience in financial services, Lumen offers the foundation the bank needs to innovate while staying grounded in safety and customer trust.

Bank of Tennessee’s vision is clear: deliver reliable, modern banking experiences that put people first. Together with Lumen and Zoom, they have built a resilient, scalable foundation that empowers both employees and customers—today and into the future.

To learn more about Bank of Tennessee’s transformation, read the full customer success story.

Visit our customer story library to learn how organizations in virtually every industry are achieving their business objectives.

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