JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— The $148-million JM Associates FCU here has outsourced management of its seven-machine ATM fleet to Dolphin Debit, a move the credit union said is already reducing costs, easing internal workload and improving service responsiveness.
JM Associates FCU operates branches in Florida, Alabama and Missouri. The credit union said its decision to shift ATM management to Dolphin Debit came after growing frustration with the time, resources and vendor coordination required to manage the fleet internally.
JM Associates EVP Robert Griffin explained that before partnering with Dolphin, the management tasks associated with operating the ATMs were taking a lot of time and resources.
“We ran into issues multiple times where the maintenance company would blame the cash delivery company for causing issues, and vice versa. Partnering with Dolphin eliminated that problem,” he said.
JM Associates looked at other potential partners, but Griffin said Dolphin stood out because of its proven track record with credit unions, its service model, responsiveness, pricing, and ability to fully manage the fleet. In addition, Griffin had experience with Dolphin from a previous credit union where he had worked and said he knew Dolphin would be a good fit for JM Associates.
“We were looking for a partner who could improve ATM uptime and deliver cost savings,” Griffin said. “Dolphin offered a turnkey model that relieved our staff of day-to-day ATM responsibilities and provided deeper expertise in ATM operations.”
The credit union immediately gained cost savings through the Dolphin relationship, but Griffin cited other advantages as well. Such as faster and more responsive service and resolution of any issues, relief from the burdens of compliance, and improved member satisfaction with newer and better ATMs. The biggest benefit? Operational relief.
“We were looking for a relationship with an ATM management company that would fully manage the service. This allows our internal workload to focus on member-facing priorities,” Griffin said.
Even as the financial industry evolves, ATMs are still an important element of JM Associates FCU’s member service strategy, Griffin said, noting, “They serve as a critical touchpoint for cash access, after hours service, and convenience.”
“JM Associates is a great example of a credit union that recognized the drawbacks of managing their own ATMs and fixing that by partnering with someone they knew they could trust,” said Joe Woods, SVP of marketing and partnerships for Dolphin Debit. “It is paying off for them just as it has for so many of our other clients.”