Kill Phone Trees

Is this you? Member calling your 800 number....

Hello, Thank you for calling (fill in your name here) credit union. Please listen to the following 9 options. Please listen carefully as some of these options may have changed.

Press 1 for Branch & ATM Locations
Press 2 for Automated teller
Press 3 for credit card and loan information
Press 4 to apply for a loan
Press 5 for mortgage information
Press 6 to speak with an investment advisor
Press 7 to speak with a member services representive
Press 8 to hear a duck quack
Press 9 if you know your party's 4 digit extension

That's only the first level of the infamous phone tree. Think about it....how many layers exist between us and our members?

Some might think this is trivial but I believe it's symptom of a larger problem with credit unions. We may think we've reduced our costs by doing this but we've eliminated the direct contact with our members. We've added layers between us and them. What do we mean that we have tolerances for abandoment rates? What we're saying is that it's okay for members to get fed up with waiting and eventually hang up on us. Who was the genius behind this? Let's face it, we've all been drinking this kool-aid.

Here's what we're doing....

We're developing an AIR and iPhone widget that leverages VOIP and GEO/GPS based technologies that will enable our members to press a call button to speak directly to their local representatives without navigating our phone trees. Other options such as access to their account information will be PUSHED to them instead of them having to login and PULL the information. We're also taking our member service operations online so that members can report a lost/stolen ATM card, stop a payment, order a new debit card, etc at the push of a button.

Who knows if this will fly. But, as humourous as the "Press 8 for a duck quack" may seem, it's pretty sad we've made this a reality for our members.