Blackhawk Credit Union Launches Customer Contact Center, Saves Nearly $18,000 in Annual Phone Expenses
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 24, 2003 ? In the fiercely competitive banking industry, customer service rules. Customers demand instant access to their account information and fast, friendly attention ? and if they don't receive it, they'll take their business elsewhere. Recognizing this critical fact, Blackhawk Credit Union chose a 3Com? Networked Telephony solution to establish a new call center at its Janesville, WI, headquarters to bolster its customer service and help reduce costs.
Today, using the 3Com? NBX? 100 Communications System to converge voice services over its Ethernet wide area network (WAN), Blackhawk's call center provides its 40,000 clients with more immediate responses to questions and concerns. The 3Com voice solution enables the credit union to field direct all calls to the call center and rapidly transfer them toll-free to any branch or staff member. In addition, the NBX solution saves the 100-employee firm $10,000 a year in telephone maintenance costs and $600 a month in long-distance charges.
"We needed an enterprise voice solution so our customers could easily consult with our employees to make their financial decisions," said Sean Rathjen, president, Blackhawk Credit Union. "3Com delivered a cost-effective, easily managed system with advanced features that enable us to provide superb customer service, even though we're spread out across four offices in two area codes."
Reliable, Scalable, Full-Featured Communications
Backed by 3Com Fast Ethernet switches at each branch, the NBX solution delivers premium-quality voice services across Blackhawk's four sites at an exceptionally low total cost of ownership. Callers key in their account numbers before reaching the call center, enabling staff to pull up banking histories and prioritize calls from preferred customers. Advanced features such as call transfer and hunt groups ensure that customers reach the appropriate employee in any of the credit union's four branches with minimal time spent on hold. Built-in caller ID even allows employees to greet callers by name. In addition, direct inward dialing (DiD) allows employees to contact co-workers at any branch office and transfer calls seamlessly simply by dialing a three-digit extension.
Blackhawk's IT department uses the NBX platform's browser-based NBX NetSet? administration tool to configure, troubleshoot and manage the entire phone system with minimal IT service costs. Moreover, by installing 3Com wireless access points at each branch, Blackhawk technicians remain connected to NBX NetSet via their own wireless laptops, whether they're at an employee's desk or in the credit union's headquarters.
An Efficient Centralized Solution
Previously, Blackhawk used non-integrated PBX systems at each of its four locations. The outdated equipment required frequent, costly maintenance. Credit union employees were unable to transfer customer calls between branches, forcing clients to hang up and redial to reach staff at different locales. With offices in two area codes, Blackhawk spent $24,000 each year in long-distance charges. To rectify this situation, the credit union decided to launch a call center to serve as a central communications hub and sought an IP-based voice solution to provide advanced service and lower its costs.
After demonstrations by its value-added reseller, Onit Consulting, Blackhawk chose 3Com over Cisco for its outstanding price/performance. Blackhawk was particularly impressed by the NBX solution's ease of management, which allows the credit union to expand and reconfigure its phone system as circumstances demand. When construction at Blackhawk's headquarters forced several employees to relocate temporarily to a basement conference room, they simply plugged the NBX phones into network jacks with no additional investment in hardware and wiring. The NBX system automatically identified the new phone locations and they were available immediately for use, complete with any previously programmed speed-dial numbers and other features.
"The 3Com voice solution revolutionized our operations as well as our customer service," Rathjen concluded. "We're now better positioned to gain and retain customers, and we have a communications infrastructure we can use to grow our business now and for many years to come."
About 3Com
3Com is a tier-one provider of innovative, practical and high-value voice and data networking products, services and solutions for enterprises of all sizes and public sector organizations. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site http://www.3com.com.
Source: 3Com
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