3 Rivers Federal Credit Union
A Six-Year Partnership with Engageware Drives Member Value and Growth
Challenges and Goals
From Guesswork to Service Excellence
Since 1935, 3Rivers Federal Credit Union has been a pillar in its community, championing financial wellness through personalized service, tools, and education. With over 117,000 members, 25 branches, and 445 dedicated employees, 3Rivers has consistently provided trustworthy guidance and built lasting relationships. As a growing institution, it faced a familiar challenge: aligning member needs with impeccable service.
In 2018, the credit union sought a solution that would support its commitment to innovation and personalized member service.
Before partnering with Engageware, the credit union lacked a structured approach for appointment scheduling. Long wait times and reliance solely on historical traffic patterns for staffing decisions hindered member service and satisfaction.
3Rivers had no specific way of measuring how much member traffic an individual branch could expect at different times, or what services were most needed at that branch. The credit union also needed a flexible scheduling solution—particularly for traveling team members, like college loan experts, investment advisors, and mortgage specialists.
Recognizing the need for transformation, President and CEO Don Cates emphasized the importance of not merely using technology to solve a people problem. Amidst this backdrop, 3Rivers embarked on a journey to find the right solution.
The Solution
Seamless Integration and Trusted Partnership with Engageware
Due diligence underscored Engageware’s deep domain in knowledge, tailored features, and commitment to innovation – aspects that strongly resonated with 3Rivers. Along with Engageware’s proven experience with credit unions and the service that 3Rivers received during the sales process impressed the team.
This alignment paved the way for a long-lasting partnership, and Engageware became the cornerstone in 3Rivers’ approach to scheduling, learning, and adaptation.
Fast forward to 2024, 3Rivers values Engageware solutions for their ease of use —intuitive to learn and customizable. The platform seamlessly integrates with their website, mobile app, and marketing campaigns.
High Value Member Engagement Through Appointment Integration
3Rivers currently drives member appointments through their website, mobile app, and marketing campaigns.
The credit union manages Reserve with Google powered by Engageware, allowing both current and prospective members to book appointments in a nearby branch location, directly from Google Search and Google Maps results.
This strategic move not only streamlined the appointment scheduling process but also significantly enhanced customer engagement.
When scheduling appointments, members are automatically matched with the employee who is best suited to accommodate their needs. Powerful Smart Matching™, Appointment Routing, and Microsoft Exchange™ integrations review employee skills and job functions and govern business rules and personal calendar availability to provide guaranteed appointments to members. Today, 3Rivers is using Engageware to schedule appointments for business accounts, commercial loans, personal savings, investments, college planning, mortgages, and trusts.
Leveraging Member Experience for Branch Success
In the branches, employees greet members as they arrive using Engageware’s Concierge solution. Employees can see all pre-scheduled appointments, the reason for each member’s visit, and the branch associate to which each member is assigned.
Members who walk in without pre-scheduled appointments can easily be added to the queue and are matched with the right employee based on their needs.
Estimated wait-time calculations keep members up-to-date regarding when they will be served, all of which contributes to superior member experience.
By integrating appointment scheduling into their operations, 3Rivers optimized internal processes and significantly improved customer engagement. This strategic move fostered lasting relationships through meaningful connections across key touchpoints.
The data and insights Engageware provides to 3Rivers has helped them understand more than just appointment volumes and staffing needs across their branch network; it has also given them visibility into what the most common member needs are, which services their team members need to be trained to provide, and whether those needs are being met.
The Results
Driving Growth: The Impact of a Strategic Alliance with Enhanced Appointment Scheduling
From the outset, the credit union’s marketing team valued seamless integration of Engageware’s Appointment Scheduling into their communication channels. In the launch year with Engageware, 3Rivers witnessed more than 25% increase in appointment requests and branch traffic following the exit of a large bank competitor in their area.
Engageware played a pivotal role, enabling 3Rivers to manage the surge seamlessly without adding new team members. The higher adoption rates and positive customer feedback underscored the success of this integration, as appointment volumes continued to grow steadily.
As the years unfolded, the collaboration with Engageware’s Customer Success team remained exceptional. More recently, as 3Rivers navigates a changing economic landscape – a market-wide decrease in mortgage and lending – Engageware has assisted as the credit union pivoted to providing alternative services to members, most notably for financial wellness and supporting local businesses.
In 2023, 3Rivers has seen a 50% increase in the number of financial wellness appointments and a whopping 70% increase in business appointments.
Further, as the financial industry automates services and introduces multiple channels for members to conduct their banking needs, 3Rivers has continued to maintain strong appointment volumes – aligning the modern member experience with long-standing principles of supporting members in their preferred setting. Such adaptability is a testament to the enduring success of the 3Rivers-Engageware partnership.
The credit union appreciates that Engageware seamlessly aligns with its brand, providing a solution that not only meets their needs but also evolves alongside them.
In conclusion, the 3Rivers-Engageware partnership is not just a success story; it’s a trusted relationship built on a shared commitment to empowering members on their financial journey.
About 3Rivers Federal Credit Union
3Rivers Federal Credit Union headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana has been serving members since 1935, empowering their community to achieve financial wellness by offering personalized service, tools, and education. The member-owned, not for-profit cooperative manages $2.33 Billion in assets and serves over 117,000 members, 25 branches and employs 445 employees. For more information, visit 3riversfcu.org.
