When two Grand Rapids, Michigan-based CUSOs got together to develop a menu of no-charge outbound call campaigns that their credit union partners could leverage, they were pleasantly surprised that a total of sixty-eight signed up for the service. The member outreach project, which was launched in early February, is being managed by Xtend, Inc. and funded by its fellow cooperative CUSO, CU*Answers, Inc.

According to Xtend President Scott Collins, the plan calls for up to 500 calls for each participating credit union. Says Collins, “It goes without saying that a 34,000-call project is a major undertaking, but it is a project that we are very excited about. Not only do we get a chance to talk to thousands of members about their credit unions, we also get a chance to demonstrate the value of an engaged call center partner. It’s a win-win if executed effectively, and we expect that will be the case.”

The project is designed to last into the summer. Julie Gessner, Xtend’s Manager of Communication Services, indicates that is by design. “We offered an extensive menu of campaigns that each credit union could choose from,” she notes. “Some were very relationship focused, and some were tied to specific marketing programs at that institution. This allowed us to work closely with each partner to determine the right timing to gain the maximum effect.”

To date, Xtend has completed 12 of the 38 campaigns.