Exceeding digital expectations

The right moment for live chat

With around 150,000 members and $2.3 billion in assets, Corning Credit Union (CCU) is an independent non-profit financial organization operating in the Corning-Elmira region of New York, with branches expanding across Pennsylvania and the Carolinas.

CCU observed how its members increasingly wanted to fit their financial affairs around their busy digital lifestyles. This demand for greater convenience and speed was being fulfilled through mobile and online banking options, supported by a secure messaging service.

“Our legacy messaging platform was asynchronous, but members were treating it just like a two-way conversation,” said Chad Hassler, Supervisor, Digital Services and Support at CCU. “Although our internal teams had only handled calls and emails, it felt like the right time to consider a live chat solution.”

Better communication with fewer staff

Mindful that not all digital initiatives result in positive experiences, CCU set a clear mission. “Our view was if we’re going to end up with bad chat then we won’t do chat at all,” added Hassler.

CCU began its search by assessing out-of-the-box solutions. But when Genesys showed how live chat and a bot could be integrated, it realized there could be a better way.

“It spun up a whole different discovery process — reducing the need for large, dedicated teams dealing interminably with the same questions,” said Hassler. “We didn’t know Genesys could be that powerful.”

CCU soft launched the Genesys solution with an FAQ widget on its contact us webpage and mobile app. When a member typed a few words into the search field, it triggered a virtual assistant to interpret the member’s intent and provide guidance. But members could still choose to engage with a live agent at any point via chat, phone or email.

“Every time a member interacts with us using live chat, they invariably start with the bot,” added Hassler. “We get around 1,500 monthly bot interactions with 58% of customers successfully self-serving. That saves them having to trawl our website or call us.”

Transformation in tough times

Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, CCU had to migrate 200 office staff to remote working. As events unfolded, aside from immediate health threats, employees were anxious about financial matters.

CCU worked with Genesys to create an internal chatbot, called Digit, to address the top issues troubling employees.

“People wanted answers,” said Hassler. “They needed to be taken care of. Our member-facing FAQs served as a solid foundation to build a team-facing knowledge base. Genesys allowed us to do that. It was a perfect example of agile deployment — coupled with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the need to get information out at the speed of sound. It still stands as the single fastest project we’ve ever done. ”

Popular questions included where to find pandemic information; when people would receive their government-paid stimulus checks and salary payments; and when those funds would clear in their bank accounts. Now a highly popular staff communications channel, Digit has helped transform the CCU employee experience.

Smart, frictionless digital service

Since implementing the Genesys solution, CCU has recorded its best digital NPS score of 92% as part of its voice of the member feedback.

“We scored the highest out of 122 credit unions,” said Hassler. “We see that score as a reflection of our service and dedication – Genesys plays a big role in helping us deliver that superior member experience.”

Building on that success, CCU is planning a CRM system integration that will enable the chatbot to leverage real-time Salesforce data. For example, it will identify if a member has already reported a lost card or had problems logging into their online account.

“If you’re going to build a bot, Genesys is the best I’ve seen,” concluded Hassler. “The product is extremely well supported. Genesys always responds fast to resolve any issues.”