cuasterisk.comDuring the first quarter of 2009, Xtend, Inc., a multi-owned cooperative CUSO headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, spread beyond its Midwest roots as it began providing call center services for credit union partners in Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington D.C. These contact center services are provided by Xtension, a division of the CUSO that specializes in both inbound and outbound support initiatives for credit unions and industry partners. Currently the Xtension contact center supports twenty-two (22) credit unions throughout eight (8) states and the District of Columbia, as well as four (4) CUSOs in three (3) states.
The three most recent credit unions to deploy the shared staffing resources of Xtend are Boston-based Massachusetts State Employees CU, Houston-based Harris County FCU, and DC-based District Government Employees FCU. Each of these new partners wanted us to support their staff and members in a slightly different manner, says Xtend President Scott Collins. For one we provide overflow support to their in-house call center to give them increased coverage and expanded hours. For another we receive member inquiry and transactional calls based on automated routing as a cost-effective extension of the credit union staff. And the third partner has directed all inbound calls to our center as the first member point-ofcontact.
Collins believes that flexibility, integration, and the ability to deliver cost-effective solutions based on different rules of engagement and business plans are key reasons that credit unions are evaluating Xtends shared resources business units like Xtension more than ever before. Two of these partners have never utilized a third-party call center before and the third transitioned from a large national player. What an exciting challenge for our new contact center business.
Visit www.xtendcu.com to find out more about the CUSOs inbound (Branch XT) and outbound (Member Reach Plus) offerings.
About the Partner
Xtend
About Xtend (www.xtendcu.com): Xtend, Inc. is a 100% credit union-owned CUSO formed in 2002 with headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Xtend provides a wide array of managerial, operational, marketing, technical planning and consulting services for credit unions of all sizes. In short, Xtend is an aggregation point for shared resources that allows credit unions to deliver products and services more costeffectively. Their strategic offerings include bookkeeping services, inbound and outbound member contact services, back-office mortgage services, partnered liquidity opportunities, shared branching, compliance monitoring, and insurance services. Xtend provides services for over 100 credit unions representing more than 800,000 members and $6B in assets. The CUSO is currently owned by 45 credit union partners.
