GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.–CU*Answers, a 100% credit union owned CUSO, has announced the winners of the July Walking in the Members’ Shoes initiative. Designed to encourage CU*Answers’ staff to use the products and services they offer to credit unions, the unique recognition program awarded $275 in July to five associates. Since January 2015 program organizers report having awarded staff a total of $1,925.
“Beyond the CU*BASE core platform, our CUSO provides a wide variety of self-service products to credit union clients,” said EVP of Sales Scott Page. “And as many of us are members at credit unions within our network, we have an opportunity to act like a member and to use all the features of those self-service products. By doing so, we gain not only valuable insight on how we can improve our products, but gain a better knowledge to assist our client credit unions,” Page added.
The program works by encouraging staff to use services such as online and mobile banking, and then to document their experience on an internal website designed by the CU*Answers Web Services team. An added benefit is the sense of community and ownership received as well as educational benefits experienced through the real life application of the products.
New Milestone: 5,000 Hits On Reference Materials
Separately, CU*Answers has announced a new milestone reached in 2015, with more than 5,000 hits in a one-week period on its reference materials.
CU*Answers technical writers manage more than 200 published reference materials specific to CU*BASE, the core data processing solution of CU*Answers. Materials also cover the suite of self-service products the CUSO offers, including It’s Me 247 online, mobile web, mobile app, and text banking.
“Since information is the intelligence of the credit union, keeping that information current is a responsibility CU*Answers staff members take seriously,” the company said. Since October 2014, CU*Answers has created or updated 70 reference materials and brochures. “CU*Answers definitely places a high value on the depth, quality, and variety of documentation it provides to clients; it’s unlike anywhere else I have worked,” said Alycia Meyers, Technical Writer at CU*Answers. “I see my team’s work being used on a daily basis by our clients and staff.”
Imaging Solutions Offers New Programming Release
In addition, CU*Answers Imaging Solutions team recently announced that with their 2.1 programming release, making it easy for credit unions to send a receipt, loan form, or any other electronic document directly to a member’s online virtual strongbox. Credit union staff can accomplish this through a simple click of a button and the member will be able to access the document within minutes via their It’s Me 247 online banking account, the company said.
John Beauchamp, Manager of Imaging Solutions at CU*Answers recently experienced this first hand. “I asked the teller to send my receipt to my strongbox,” he said. “She clicked the button and in a few minutes my receipt was available to view online. I think this is going to be a great service to members and allows credit unions to really leverage the investment CU*Answers made in purchasing strongboxes for all the members in the network.”
In April, CU*Answers purchased My Virtual StrongBox solutions for all of its 190 credit union owners and members. Provided by Virtual StrongBox, Inc., the product allows members to upload important documents to their own “virtual strongbox” where they are securely stored and available for retrieval via the Internet. Access for members is conveniently provided through their current CU*Answers online banking product, It’s Me 247, so no additional authentication is required.