For over 80 years, Azura Credit Union has embodied “Above and Beyond Banking” for Kansans. But in today's digital-first world, the meaning of exceptional service has evolved. Azura recognized that to truly honor its legacy, it needed to reimagine its entire approach to member interactions.
Facing a rising demand for online services, the credit union set out to create seamless, personalized banking experiences that would not only satisfy members, but also empower employees to work more efficiently. This dual focus promised to enhance satisfaction on both sides of every interaction.
However, Azura found itself at a critical juncture. Member expectations for digital-first banking were outpacing the credit union's technological capabilities. Legacy systems and fragmented digital channels weren't just holding Azura back—they were actively widening the gap between member expectations and the credit union's ability to deliver.
Despite its commitment to exceptional service, Azura faced significant obstacles in delivering a modern banking experience, leading to poor member and front-line employee experiences. Azura’s digital offerings were not only limited, but also disjointed and not user-friendly. The chat functionality was hidden in a mobile app, while video banking was manual and slow. The lack of digital service drove members to overload Azura’s phone lines, leading to long wait times, frazzled reps, and frustrated callers.
"We were pushing folks into certain channels simply because we couldn't offer alternatives," explains Brooke Hamilton, VP of Digital Member Experience.
Behind the scenes, contact center agents grappled with a technological tangle. Multiple systems and manual processes turned simple tasks into complex juggling acts. Rather than empowering agents, the outdated tech stack hampered their ability to serve members efficiently.
Without a unified contact center solution, Azura’s decision makers operated in the dark. Managers lacked the data needed to make informed decisions or drive performance improvements. The result? Longer wait times and service friction for both members and employees.
To truly deliver “Above and Beyond Banking,” Azura needed more than incremental upgrades. It required a comprehensive solution that would elevate the member experience across all touchpoints and empower Azura's staff with tools to provide unparalleled service
Azura found their solution in Glia's Unified Interaction Management (UIM) platform. The credit union chose to implement both Digital Customer Service (DCS) and Glia Call Center (GCC), recognizing that this unified combination would address the trifecta of challenges they faced: elevating service quality, enhancing employee experience, and boosting operational efficiency.
By selecting Glia's DCS capabilities, Azura introduced access to robust digital channels that would allow members to engage on their own terms—whether through chat, video, or voice. This flexibility promised to enhance the member experience while providing the seamless transitions between channels that had been sorely lacking.
Simultaneously, the implementation of GCC gave Azura the sophisticated phone system it needed to optimize its contact center operations. This move would empower managers with real-time data and analytics, enabling them to make informed decisions and improve both efficiency and service quality.
With Glia's unified platform in place, Azura was ready to deliver the service that not only met the expectations of its members, but exceeded them.
Azura Credit Union's bold digital overhaul yielded immediate and impressive results. Within 30 days of implementing Glia Call Center, Azura dramatically reduced average wait time and abandonment rates across all channels. At the same time, Azura used Digital Customer Service to boost digital adoption, further relieving pressure on Azura’s phone lines.
The credit union attained an exceptional 91.97% average monthly service level from April to August 2024, with daily abandonment rates plummeting to a mere 0.65% by September. This remarkable improvement was largely due to the new ChannelLess® approach, which empowered members to receive personalized advice over the phone or via chat.
Introducing new digital channels significantly alleviated pressure on traditional phone lines, helping Azura reduce average wait times by 50%. Members with quick queries could opt for chat or in-app messaging, freeing up reps to focus on callers with more complex issues.
Azura's usage of Glia’s callback feature further enhanced the member experience during high-volume periods. Instead of waiting on hold, members could request a callback, maintaining their place in the queue without being tethered to their phones. With a 90% successful return rate, this feature significantly reduced abandonment rates and improved member satisfaction.
The impact of these changes was profound. Azura saw a 54% increase in digital interactions from Q1 to Q2 2024, indicating strong member adoption of the new channels. This surge not only validated Azura's strategy but also opened new avenues for member engagement and service delivery.
By offering a choice of communication channels, Azura enhanced its ability to meet diverse member needs. Whether it's a quick balance check via chat or a complex loan discussion over video, members now have multiple channels to address diverse needs.
While these improvements in member service were significant, Azura recognized that truly exceptional service starts with empowered, engaged employees.
The transformation in member service was intrinsically linked to Azura's efforts to empower its employees. “When you have happy employees, you get happy members,” shares Hamilton.
By implementing a unified platform for chat, phone, and video interactions, Azura empowered its service teams to work with more speed and serve more members. "The 'all in one' approach is a real time-saver in our fast-paced environment," one employee noted, highlighting the positive impact that a unified platform has on daily operations.
This streamlined approach eliminated the need for agents to toggle between multiple screens, vendors, and applications. Instead, Azura's team now enjoys a 360-degree view of member interactions, allowing them to own each engagement completely and provide more personalized service.
But Azura didn't stop at streamlining workflows, it leveraged Glia's reporting capabilities to gain unprecedented insights into employee performance and well-being. This data-driven approach led to an unexpected benefit: enhanced empathy from managers to employees.
Hamilton recalls a pivotal moment: "We noticed a usually strong performer's engagement metrics had dropped. Instead of just focusing on the numbers, we reached out to ask, 'Are you okay?'" This simple question, prompted by Azura's proactive use of data, opened a crucial dialogue with an employee facing personal challenges. "By acting on the data compassionately, we were able to help a team member through a tough time," Hamilton explains. "It showed us that our technology could make us more empathetic, not less."
Azura also established a system to share positive member feedback directly with employees. In the often challenging world of customer service, this initiative boosted morale by showing agents the tangible results of their hard work.
By balancing metrics with empathy and recognition, Azura has created a culture of care that goes beyond traditional employee management. This innovative approach has reinforced Azura's commitment to going ’above and beyond’ for its own team. With its employees empowered and engaged, Azura was poised to tackle its next challenge: maximizing operational efficiency across the organization.
Azura Credit Union's digital transformation yielded impressive efficiency gains—and drove substantial business impact. Azura can now process more loans, open more accounts, and handle a higher volume of member inquiries without increasing staffing costs.
While much of the improved efficiency stems from better channel management, it’s also due to Azura's strategic implementation of tools like Multi-Engage. By enabling agents to handle multiple chat interactions simultaneously, Azura increased its service capacity without expanding its workforce. An impressive 38% of interactions now utilize Multi-Engage, allowing agents to serve more members in less time.
The efficiency gains weren't limited to phone interactions: Azura saw a 40% decrease in in-branch wait times, a result of embracing digital signatures for account openings, loan processes, and other procedures. This shift to digital not only accelerated turnaround times but also eliminated the need for outdated technology and reduced resource requirements.
"By digitizing our in-branch processes, we've significantly improved our ability to process loans and open accounts," Hamilton notes. "It's a win-win—members get faster service, and we can handle more business."
Perhaps most importantly, Azura broke down silos within its contact center, creating a unified team approach. All 38 agents across different teams were integrated into a single system, allowing for seamless load balancing during peak times. This "one team" strategy, enabled by intelligent operator ordering, ensures that when one group of agents is busy, others can automatically step in to help.
By focusing on efficiency across all channels and breaking down internal barriers, Azura has not only streamlined its operations but has also created a more agile, responsive organization capable of meeting the evolving needs of its members. This comprehensive approach demonstrates that increased efficiency and superior service go hand in hand—and drive real business results.
By simultaneously enhancing member experiences, empowering employees, and optimizing operational efficiency, Azura has redefined its “Above and Beyond Banking” promise for the digital age.
The credit union's success story demonstrates that the right technology doesn’t just drive member and employee satisfaction—it’s surprisingly easy to implement. "When Glia tells you it is seamless, easy, and intuitive, they are not lying," Hamilton emphasizes. "Go all in. It’s everything they promised it would be."
