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Pioneer Valley Credit Union (PVCU) has transformed its loan communication process by shifting 90% of interactions to text messaging through Eltropy’s secure platform, integrated with MeridianLink. The move has significantly enhanced efficiency and member satisfaction.
Serving members across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont, PVCU processes over 3,000 loan applications annually. By replacing email-based communication with text messaging, the credit union has seen a dramatic improvement in response times and loan processing speed.
"The way MeridianLink and Eltropy work together has been remarkable," Tony Sanches, vice president of Lending at PVCU, said. "We're seeing loan officers close deals faster because they can text right from within the loan file. When a member needs to submit additional documentation or sign something, our team can send a quick text and often get a response within minutes rather than days."
The integration has led to multiple benefits, including:
- Faster loan processing with direct messaging from loan files;
- Reduced document collection time from days to minutes;
- Automated status updates and document requests; and
- Enhanced member experience with convenient communication options.
The automation capabilities within Eltropy’s platform are also proving invaluable. "We're loving the automation possibilities," Sanches noted. "We just did an update where Eltropy and MeridianLink are working together to automatically notify members when their application status changes or when we need additional documents."
With improved member satisfaction and increased staff productivity, PVCU plans to expand text messaging capabilities across other aspects of the lending process. "When other credit unions see how we've integrated texting into our loan workflow, they're amazed by the possibilities," Sanches stated.
"It's not just about modernizing – it's about creating a lending experience that makes our members' lives easier while helping our team work more efficiently," Sanches concluded.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
