TUCSON, Ariz.–There is still one statement that Todd Clark, CEO of Co-op Solutions, says surprises him—when a credit union says, “We didn’t know you did that” after learning about a solution or service the CUSO offers.
Clark shared that insight and others during remarks to Co-op’s THINK 23 event here offering an update on the company’s initiatives, including being a “partner in growth.” And that growth, he added, repeating a theme heard often at the moment, can be found in the “moment by moment interactions.”
Clark said the CUSO’s goal is to enhance CUs’ relationships with members by bringing scale, flexibility and knowledge. “We want to be flexible, integrated and it’s important for everyone at Co-op to understand you,” he added.
Other issues touched on by Clark included:
Co-Creation Councils
Clark said Co-op has 75 credit unions now as members of its Co-Creation Councils. Membership on the Councils rotates. “The vast, vast majority of development we do is done for you, by you,” he said. “You created it, told us how you want it to be and now we are trying to deliver it to you.”
Contact Center
“With the contact center, we want to be your back office. We have never lost a client among those who have engaged with our SmartGrowth team. I encourage you to think about utilizing that technology,” said Clark.
Reorganization
Clark said it finally became time for the company to move things around and make it more efficient, increase its speed and its accuracy on delivery. Clark said each year the company does both client and employee surveys, and from credit unions it heard:
- You are better, but need to be easier to do business with.
- You need to improve service tools and communication.
- We want you to deliver solutions that are easy to implement.
In short, Clark said the reorg has led to an almost 100% reduction in job tickets that need to be addressed and is close to zero, meaning credit unions should get an immediate response on issues.
Co-op Resolution Center
Four-and-a-half years ago, Clark related, the Co-Creation Councils said, “We hate disputes. It’s the worst member experiences our members have with us. It was when credit unions were taking a transaction backwards is when there were problems.”
Most of that has now been resolved, according to Clark, who said all U.S. CUs should be converted to the Resolution Center by year end. He added the solution is taking about 30% of the work out of credit unions’ respective back offices.
Sales & Service
Five years ago Co-op was doing approximately $11 million in sales. Today, that number has eclipsed $30 million, according to Clark. “The majority of any business lost was due to mergers and acquisitions,” said Clark. “Right now, we believe we are top of the market in service, and that’s evidenced by actual studies. We know we’re doing well, but I and our team thinks we can do better.”