SAN ANTONIO—The growth of indirect loans and the increasing need to turn those members into long-term, profitable accounts has more credit unions using personalized welcome messages and outsourcing the work, according to one company.
SWBC said that within the last year it has seen an increase in credit unions coming to it for its AutoPilot Call Center Services, which not only handle personalized welcome messages to new members delivered over the phone, but also a wide variety of call center overflow activity—including lending, credit card activation and other customized solutions.
“As we know, credit unions are trying to get their members to use more of their technology to lighten staff workload,” said Connie Shoemaker, SVP of account services at SWBC. “But they realize that many members, in addition to the speed and convenience of mobile, want the personal touch. Credit unions, too, still want to have that personal conversation with their members. We can also be there when their staff is not, as our hours go beyond the typical nine-to-five.”
Shoemaker said that SWBC’s AutoPilot services are being called on to deepen relationships with indirect members, who typically never set foot in the credit union.
“We are doing much more work in the area of welcome phone calls,” said Shoemaker. “We reach out to the new credit union members and ask them about their experience at the dealership and if they understand the details of their monthly payment, such as when it is due and where it should be sent. We ask them if they need to make any adjustments to their insurance, such as GAP coverage. We find many more credit unions using our service for these calls, as opposed to sending a welcome packet in the mail or via email. They say it is much more personal and a better way to begin the relationship.”
Better Than Welcome Packet
Shoemaker said the calls provide a big advantage over a welcome packet or email because the credit union is having a conversation with the member, and can do a better job of explaining what the credit union is about and what it can do for them—something that many consumers don’t understand when they first join a CU, she reminded.
Demand for overflow support for general credit union lending is growing as well, noted Shoemaker, who said that increasingly credit unions are turning to AutoPilot since the program’s staff are trained to handle lending needs.
“We have a team here who is well-trained and a manager who has been working in credit unions and lending for many years,” said Shoemaker. “So our team can handle a lending request faster and more effectively than a general call center employee who may not have had a great deal of lending training. Plus, we know how the credit union wants its members to be spoken to.”
Shoemaker explained that understanding the culture at each credit union it supports is a priority for SWBC. She said before a team is dedicated to support a credit union, the SWBC team receives training from the CU.
“When we start a new program with a credit union we first talk to with the management from the area who then share their practices, details about their products, and we just spend time with them to learn what is special about their credit union,” said Shoemaker. “Sometimes we use scripts and FAQs.”
The size of credit unions using AutoPilot ranges from $100 million assets to $6 billion, Shoemaker said. While the reasons for using AutoPilot can differ between each credit union, Shoemaker said smaller CUs typically call on SWBC to help their staff keep up with their daily work, while larger shops are typically trying to reach more members with a personal touch.
Saves HR Costs
Shoemaker said AutoPilot saves on human resources expenses.
“This is a relatively inexpensive alternative to hiring more staff, since we only charge for the work that we do. We take a loan application and we charge for that application,” she said. “We charge for what we do as opposed to the costs for hiring and training a person and having them sit in a seat all day. I’d say the service saves the CU 75%, or more, from having to hire a new employee.”