Voice-Based Customer Insight for Migrant Financial Services
Fortell Impact deployed AI-powered voice interviews to understand how motorcycle financing is changing the lives of migrant customers in Chile and Peru — capturing the human impact of financial inclusion at scale.
Overview
Galgo provides motorcycle financing to migrant communities in Latin America, many of whom are accessing formal credit for the first time. In partnership with IDB Lab, Fortell Impact conducted voice-based interviews with 602 customers to understand how motorcycle ownership affects income, mobility, and quality of life — and to surface customer experience insights that traditional satisfaction surveys miss.
The study used a 13-question conversational survey delivered via digital avatar, with A/B testing of avatar gender to measure its effect on engagement.
Understanding impact beyond repayment data
Traditional customer data captures loan performance and repayment metrics, but reveals little about how a financial product changes someone's daily life. For migrant communities navigating new labour markets without established credit histories, the human dimensions of financial inclusion — mobility, income stability, family wellbeing — are precisely what matter most to impact investors.
A/B testing avatar design for engagement
A/B testing of avatar gender revealed measurable differences in engagement patterns, with female avatars achieving higher completion rates. This finding contributed to a broader evidence base on how avatar design influences respondent behaviour in voice-based research.
Key findings
The pilot surfaced several vulnerability dynamics that are often underrepresented in income-only assessments.
Economic mobility
The majority of respondents reported that acquiring a motorcycle helped them get a job or increase their income. Customers described significant reductions in commute times and increased ability to take on delivery and transport work that was previously inaccessible.
First-time credit access
For a notable proportion of respondents, this was their first experience using a formal financial product. The motorcycle purchase served as a stepping stone to building credit history, with customers expressing interest in future loan products for housing, vehicles, and business equipment.
Quality of life impact
Respondents described improvements across multiple dimensions: increased income, decreased commute time, greater personal freedom and mobility, and strengthened family and social connections. The emotional resonance was striking — customers expressed genuine gratitude, an uncommon sentiment in financial services feedback.
Gender differences in usage
Women were more likely to use motorcycles for social and family purposes beyond employment — such as taking children to school and accessing healthcare — highlighting the broader welfare effects of asset financing for migrant families.
What this demonstrates for financial inclusion
This study illustrates how voice-based AI can capture the human dimensions of financial product impact that traditional metrics miss. Specifically:
- Motorcycle financing creates measurable economic mobility for migrant communities
- First-time credit access builds pathways to broader financial inclusion
- Impact extends beyond income to mobility, family wellbeing, and personal agency
- Voice-based feedback surfaces customer needs and product improvement opportunities
- Avatar-based interviews enable candid feedback that written surveys often fail to capture
"Respondents described improvements in income, commute time, personal freedom, and family connections — expressing genuine gratitude, an uncommon sentiment in financial services feedback."
Decision Impact
Insights informed product development and customer experience improvements across Galgo's operations.
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