CCU marks Contact Center's 14th anniversary

GURNEE - Consumers Credit Union is marking the 14th anniversary of the opening of its in-house Contact (call) Center.

Before the center opened in 20015, customers would either come to an office in person or connect by phone. At that time, all phone calls were handled by one employee, who would route each call to the appropriate person or department. When it opened in May 2005, the nine-person department became an instant hit with Members, handling more than 78,000 phone inquiries in its first seven months of operation.

Since then, the Contact Center has continuously grown, now handling more than 400,000 interactions each year. After 14 years, the staff has grown to 44 total employees handling expanded interaction services that include phone calls, email messages, live "chat" sessions, secured messages sent by Members via Online Banking, and processing checks deposited using remote deposit capture.

"The Contact Center is a fun, collaborative and fast-paced department where Member service is our core focus," said Heather Direnzo, CCU's Contact Center director. "Our team is passionate about solving problems when a Member calls, chats, or messages us, all while creating a wonderful experience."

Beyond the formal training program, the Contact Center has a supportive leadership team readily available to answer staff questions throughout the day, when there are always leaders on hand to support the team. In addition to Direnzo's role as Director, the Contact Center leadership team includes two managers, three assistant managers and three team leads.