BCU Partners With Glia to Streamline Member Communication

With more and more credit union members moving their banking activities exclusively online out of convenience and necessity, removing friction from the digital member experience is top of mind for both credit unions and their technology partners. On Wednesday, the Vernon Hills, Ill.-based, $4.5 billion Baxter Credit Union affirmed its commitment to easing digital banking for end-users by announcing a new partnership with digital customer service provider Glia.

BCU, an early adopter of video banking serving a membership base that is 65% remote, will leverage Glia’s Digital Member Service platform, a communications and collaboration platform. According to the two organizations, the platform will allow BCU employees to more easily provide continuous service via the channel of the member’s choice – including messaging, video banking and voice banking – and save members the headache of having to switch channels, re-authenticate themselves and repeat information to service representatives while receiving help on a single issue.

The credit union will also leverage Glia’s CoBrowsing, a screen-sharing and video chat tool designed to help service representatives resolve member issues more quickly and observe the pain points of a member’s online activity as it unfolds on the screen in real-time.

“Member service has always been one of our primary differentiators, and we recognized the need to evolve our approach to keep up with changing member preferences by extending our exceptional service into digital channels,” Carey Price, SVP of digital strategy and delivery for BCU, said in a news release. “With Glia’s platform, we will be able to provide a more modern, convenient experience for members that still allows us to form meaningful relationships digitally. We believe this will be a major competitive advantage moving forward.”

“Digital Member Service is the future, and institutions like BCU that are investing in the technology now to modernize member interactions will be well positioned for long-term success,” Dan Michaeli, CEO and co-founder of Glia, said in the release. “By leveraging our Digital Member Service platform, BCU can enhance how it serves members in a digital world, boosting member loyalty while also improving efficiencies and reducing costs associated with legacy phone-based member service models. BCU has always been known as a tech leader, and we’re excited to support them in adopting a digital-first approach to member service.”

The New York, N.Y.-based Glia serves more than 100 financial institutions, insurance companies and fintechs worldwide.