Quick Overview
What happens when credit unions stop fearing AI and start using it to strengthen human connection?
The answer might surprise you. While many community financial institutions worry that artificial intelligence will replace the personal touch that makes credit unions special, forward-thinking leaders using Eltropy AI are discovering the opposite: AI is becoming their secret weapon for deepening member relationships while staying competitive with larger banks.
We sat down with credit union leaders who are living this transformation daily. Their stories reveal a powerful truth – AI isn’t about replacing people; it’s about empowering them to do what they do best: serve members with genuine care and attention.
Why Are Credit Unions Turning to Eltropy AI Now?
Is AI adoption really necessary for credit unions, or is it just hype? The data tells a compelling story. Credit unions using Eltropy’s AI-powered communication platform are seeing dramatic operational improvements:
- 20% reduction in call volume (TruStone Financial)
- 55-60% containment rates with Eltropy AI Voice
- 75% of calls handled by Eltropy’s unauthenticated chatbots (Edwards FCU)
- 50% FTE savings in collections departments using Eltropy Text
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
What’s Really Driving AI Adoption in Credit Unions?
Why can’t credit unions just stick with traditional phone banking and in-person service?
Kate Alter, AVP, Enterprise Applications from TruStone Financial, puts it simply: “We want to meet members where they are at.” Today’s members exist across multiple communication channels; some prefer self-service digital options, while others still value human interaction.
The challenge? Meeting both needs without overwhelming staff or breaking the bank.
Sean Holliday from Goldenwest Credit Union adds a reality check: “Nobody uses their phone for phone calls anymore, right? Nobody answers the phone.” His credit union discovered this the hard way – collections staff were making 10-12 phone calls before reaching a member, while one or two texts would get an immediate response.
TruStone Financial’s Kate Alter on Turning AI into Real Impact Safely
What happens when credit unions don’t adapt to changing member preferences? They risk irrelevance.Â
As Ron Winter from InRoads Credit Union notes, “We believe technology is our path forward to reach all of our community charters. Our model isn’t about rolling out five, 10, 15 new brick-and-mortar locations.”
How Are Credit Unions Actually Using Eltropy AI?
What does AI implementation look like in real-world credit union operations?
1. Eltropy AI Chat: The Digital Front Door
Can Eltropy’s chatbots really handle complex member inquiries? TruStone Financial launched Eltropy AI Chat two years ago, and their chatbot “Ruth” has become a vital team member. The bot handles “low-hanging fruit” questions – balance inquiries, transaction history, basic account information – freeing human agents for complex conversations.
LAFCU’s experience with their bot “Cole” shows the evolution of AI capability. They started with a basic Excel-based bot but transitioned to a large language model that delivers significantly better interactions.
What happens when the chatbot can’t answer a question? That’s where the beauty of unified platforms shines. Members seamlessly transition from chatbot to human agent – still within the same digital experience. No starting over, no repeating information, no frustration.
2. Eltropy AI Voice: Giving Digital Assistants a Human Touch
Do members actually want to talk to an AI-powered Voice system? TruStone Financial “gave Ruth a voice”, integrating Eltropy AI Voice into their IVR system. The results? A 55-60% containment rate, with members successfully resolving issues through voice AI.
Why doesn’t AI voice achieve 100% containment? Kate Alter explains: “Members still like to talk to an agent; sometimes, they still just need that human touch.” And that’s exactly the point – AI handles routine inquiries efficiently, while humans focus on complex, relationship-building conversations.
LAFCU’s VP of Marketing, Umar Tahir, shares an honest perspective on their AI voice rollout: “Initially, there were a few challenges, not technology issues, but member adaptation.” The solution? Intensive collaboration between LAFCU and Eltropy teams, checking every intent, making post-hours adjustments, and fine-tuning the experience.
LAFCU’s Umar Tahir Shares How to Transform Member Interactions with AI
How long does it take for members to adapt to AI voice technology? Based on these implementations, expect a transition period of several weeks to a few months. The key is continuous monitoring and refinement.
What Results Are Credit Unions Actually Seeing with Eltropy AI?
Beyond the metrics, how is AI changing daily operations?
Freeing Staff for Meaningful Work
What do employees do when AI handles routine inquiries? Kate Alter from TruStone Financial explains: AI takes “those simple questions and automates them, really freeing up our agents’ timeline to have those good, complex, detailed conversations with our members.”
Edwards FCU plans to repurpose their three contact center reps for outbound work once their authenticated chatbot launches. Jackie Taque emphasizes giving “members options – if we don’t have to talk to you about something and we just want a quick response, we’ve got Emma [their chatbot], we can chat.”
Does AI reduce the need for human staff? LAFCU’s Umar Tahir notes that while texting reduced calls, “now it is becoming a thing where we have to add more people to work on the text messaging.” But he calls this “a good problem to have.”
Edwards FCU’s Jackie Taque Talks About the Advent of AI in Member Service
Improving Member Experience Through Choice
What do members actually want from their credit union? Choice. Flexibility. Convenience.
TruStone Financial’s Kate Alter captures this perfectly: “We have members who want to come in and just speak to an agent, and we’re there for those members. We’re also there for those members that don’t want to talk to anybody, and they just want to use our self-serve options.”
How does offering multiple channels strengthen member relationships? It removes friction. Members can engage on their terms, when convenient for them. And when they do need human help, staff have more time and energy for meaningful conversations.
Edwards FCU takes this further by combining digital efficiency with old-school relationship building. After a great digital interaction, staff sends handwritten thank-you notes or follow-up texts: “Hey, I know your son’s getting ready to go off to college. Congratulations.”
How Should Credit Unions Approach Eltropy AI Implementation?
What’s the right strategy for credit unions just starting with Eltropy AI?
Start with Staff Engagement
How do you overcome employee concerns about AI? TruStone Financial made staff involvement a priority from day one. Kate Alter explains: “We really started this process by involving our staff, making sure they’re aware of how TruStone wants to use AI, how they can share that with members.”
“There can be fear around AI,” Kate notes. “When we give that information and knowledge to our staff, they feel really empowered to use it and support that conversation with members. Happy staff, happy members.”
The message to employees? “AI is there to support and enhance that experience, not take away from it. It’s a partnership between the two.”
Think Platform, Not Point Solutions
Should credit unions implement AI tools piecemeal? Goldenwest’s Sean Holliday has a clear vision for Eltropy’s unified platform: “All of our communications in one spot. We can build an integration from our CRM that will link to all of the chat history, text history, voice history, and then some of the AI tools with member-facing and employee-facing AI tools.”
Goldenwest’s Sean Holliday on Enhancing Member Communication with AI and Text
He laughs about Eltropy’s presentation: “I think they actually showed a slide here yesterday that was channel communications, all unified, and then you layer on top of that the AI, and then you layer on top of that analytics. I’m going to sue them because I built that model a couple of years ago when I was selling it to my executive team. Great minds think alike. But that’s kind of my vision for it as well.”
What happens when systems are disjointed? Ron explains: “When you’re disconnected, disjointed, it inevitably creates a disjointed experience for the membership. That’s why it’s so vital that we execute that strategy.”
Partner with Eltropy: A Vendor Who Listens
What makes Eltropy a strong AI partner? LAFCU’s Umar Tahir emphasizes collaboration: “They listen, they respond, they come back with solutions, at least for me. We build so many things together with Eltropy. That’s a good working relationship.”
How important is Eltropy’s post-implementation support? Crucial.Â
After LAFCU launched Eltropy AI Voice, they encountered member adaptation challenges. Umar shares: “We assigned a couple of people from our organization and made them actually check on each and every intent. We had a working sheet that we were constantly working and fixing—even though the implementation phase was done.”
“Post-working hours, all the changes were done around 11 p.m. We did the implementation. So it was a very good back and forth, one week of work. Very successful now.”
Ready to Start Your AI Journey?
What’s the first step for credit unions interested in AI? Start by talking to your members and staff. Understand where friction exists in current processes. Identify where members want more convenience and where staff need more time for meaningful work.
Then reach out to Eltropy. As these credit union leaders demonstrate, the partnership approach, where Eltropy listens, collaborates, and builds solutions together, makes all the difference.
As Ron Winter from InRoads advises: “Share your voice because you may have the idea, the thought that benefits us all.”
The credit unions leading this transformation with Eltropy AI aren’t tech giants, they’re community-focused institutions choosing to meet members where they are while staying true to their mission.
The members you serve deserve the best. Your staff deserves tools that empower them. Your credit union deserves to thrive in the digital age.
Eltropy AI makes it possible. Let’s get started.
