About University Federal Credit Union (UFCU)
As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, UFCU is passionate about changing lives and strengthening communities. With more than 347,000 members in Central Texas and Galveston County, UFCU offers a variety of products, services, and education programs to empower members in achieving financial health.
The Goal:
Better Manage Branch Traffic and Streamline the Member Experience
One of UFCU’s core values is providing members with caring service. And UFCU’s outstanding support helped the credit union become Austin’s largest locally-owned financial institution.
To deliver on this core value, UFCU wanted to make it easier for members to book appointments. Previously, members would walk into a branch and sign in on a digital clipboard. They would receive support on a first-come, first-served basis, and sometimes they’d need to wait in long lines before meeting with the right person.
Meanwhile, branches had limited insights into who showed up and what they needed. Staff couldn’t plan their days or prepare for meetings because most members were not pre-booking appointments. And since the digital sign-in sheet didn’t integrate with UFCU’s other systems, management lacked reliable appointment and walk-in data. These issues forced managers to base their staffing decisions on hunches—meaning branches could get overwhelmed with members, forcing employees to skip breaks or run late to their next meeting.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, UFCU immediately needed a system to help them better manage the flow of walk-in traffic for member and staff safety.
The Solution:
Adopting Appointment Scheduling Software That Improves Branch Efficiencies
When UFCU looks for a vendor, they want a true partner to help them achieve their goals. They also like working with companies with the same commitment to member service.
Here are four more reasons why UFCU chose Coconut’s Appointment Scheduling software:
- A centralized, real-time calendar. Seeing immediate availability through a single calendar system makes booking appointments straightforward for staff and members. Staff can see their upcoming meetings in one location, avoid scheduling conflicts, and review member data to better prepare for meetings. “I rely on Coconut to guide my day. I can’t see myself working without it!” says William Soto, UFCU Investment Coordinator.
- Video banking and curb-side service capabilities. Coconut’s ability to book and host virtual calls was vital during the pandemic. Since then, it’s helped UFCU connect members outside of the Austin area who find it tough to travel to a branch. Virtual business services that don’t have a physical location also use virtual calls to connect with members. When indoor services became restricted, Coconut’s queue solution allowed members to scan a QR code outside the branch to request a curb-side service.
- Transparent data tracking and reporting. Managers can log into Coconut to view data about member traffic and upcoming appointments by branch. These insights help them optimize staffing and improve wait times. “Our managers love Coconut, as they can quickly see all their branch’s appointments and learn more about what members need,” says Erica Secrett, UFCU Assistant Branch Manager. “Coconut helps us stay in tune and on track.”
- Fast implementation. UFCU has at times spent nine to twelve months rolling out new software. But they launched Coconut in just three months—including running pilots at three branches. As a result, Coconut was one of UFCU’s fastest implementations and set the bar for future software rollouts. “The onboarding process was flawless. Partnering closely with the Coconut project team allowed us to launch in four months,” says Debra Moore, UFCU IT Member Systems Manager.
The Results:
Happier Members and Deeper Insights
UFCU rolled out Coconut’s Appointment Scheduling software to 29 locations and 350+ users since their initial launch in November 2020. They started with staff-booked meetings, as they didn’t accept walk-ins during the height of the pandemic. A few months later, they began to manage walk-ins and member-booked appointments with Coconut.
The credit union has tracked 272,500+ appointments through Coconut and achieved the following results since launch:
- Increased member satisfaction. UFCU’s members love the convenience of booking phone, in-person, and virtual appointments. Coconut also sends appointment-reminder notifications to members (which include notes on documents they should bring) so they don’t forget about their bookings. As a result, Members have rated the Coconut appointment experience as 2.9 out of 3 in recent satisfaction surveys.
- Uncovered new insights into member needs. Coconut allows UFCU to track how branches are supporting members. For example, through weekly reports that break down branch traffic, they saw that a large percentage of appointments were for card maintenance—data that they wouldn’t have had before Coconut. These insights allow them to address members’ needs better.
- Drove more refinancing meetings. UFCU’s lending team used Coconut to book appointments with members as part of a refinance call campaign. Management can track the campaign results based on callbacks to see how the appointments helped more members get better rates.
- Expanded to new business units and languages. UFCU’s largest user group is branch staff. However, other groups also see the benefits of Coconut. The wealth management, community impact, contact center, and financial health teams use it to prepare for appointments. UFCU has also launched appointment services in Spanish to serve clients who prefer to use another language.
