It’s a constant reality in financial services: consolidation. Over the past year, the net value of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the US reached an estimated $2.9 trillion. Here in financial services, 2025 has already seen over 70 bank and credit union transactions, totaling well over $10 billion. As a leader in customer experience or the contact center, you may not control a merger decision, but your role in the seamless transition is critical.
Here’s the harsh reality: M&A activity causes a lasting surge in customer interaction volume, typically increasing by 25–50% for at least three to six months. This rapid influx creates a make-or-break moment for customer trust and loyalty.
The Standard M&A Playbook Is Broken
Financial institutions (FIs) traditionally rely on a basic playbook to minimize M&A disruption: early communication, clear expectations, increased staffing, and extended hours. While these steps are logical, this approach alone fails to address the foundational problem in most contact center operations: disjointed, disconnected customer or member interactions.
That’s because if your organization is still operating with a siloed, channel-centric model—separate teams for phone calls, digital chats, and virtual assistance—no amount of preparation will be enough.
Why Waiting to Modernize Is a Costly Mistake
Many leaders are tempted to wait until “after the dust settles” before overhauling their contact center model. But when it comes to system upgrades and core conversions, the dust never truly settles. The time to modernize is now, before you are overwhelmed and gasping for air.
Organizations that unify their customer interaction channels and incorporate AI for All before M&A activity see dramatically better outcomes. A unified approach can significantly reduce Average Handle Time (AHT) and Average Wait Time (AWT), even amidst a surge of new interactions. Delivering seamless, personalized experiences from day one of a merger isn't just about efficiency; it’s about showing your customers that their experience is still your top priority.
Growth Without Compromise: Real World Success Stories
What does proactive preparation look like in practice? These examples underscore the power of an evolved interaction strategy during M&A activity.
🤖 Busey Bank: Supporting Growth With Fewer Associates
Busey Bank leveraged the power of Voice AI to navigate a major M&A deal, acquiring a $7 billion bank and adding 30,000 new customers—a 25% increase in their customer base.
The Challenge
- High call volume and low-stakes calls (like balance inquiries) were forcing customers to wait for a human representative, leading to inefficient service and limited scalability.
- Busey’s frontline team was spending valuable time on manual post-call record-keeping.
The Solution: AI for All
- Busey deployed Glia Voice AI to greet every caller, predict their needs, and automate simple inquiries.
- They used Glia’s Agent AI and Interaction Wrap-Up to automatically generate concise, objective summaries, significantly reducing manual admin work.
The Impact: Efficiency and Scalability
- Customer Handling: Glia Virtual Assistants handled 61.5% of calls, freeing up Busey’s frontline teams for complex, high-value interactions.
- Time Saved: Post-call record-keeping time was slashed by 50%, immediately increasing Agent productivity.
- Headcount Neutral Growth: The AI-powered efficiency created capacity, allowing Busey to successfully add 30,000 customers while reallocating two frontline associates to strategic research roles. Busey exceeded all performance targets with fewer associates.
“The more interactions that can be handled without human support, the more we can repurpose employees for higher impact. We are supporting more call volume than ever with fewer associates—while exceeding all performance targets.” –Caitlin Drake, SVP and Director of CX & Support
🚀 Heartland Credit Union: Scaling Service for a Growing Membership
After a significant merger rapidly expanded its membership, Heartland Credit Union needed a comprehensive solution to uphold its legacy of personalized service.
The Challenge
- An aging, phone-only system led to high call abandonment and long wait times.
- Frontline representatives manually authenticated members and struggled to help them navigate complex online tasks, driving up Average Handle Time (AHT).
- Leaders lacked data to make informed staffing decisions.
The Solution: ChannelLess® Architecture
- Heartland deployed Glia, integrating digital Chat, OnScreen Voice, and Glia Voice for a unified experience.
- The credit union used CoBrowsing to solve issues in real-time and introduced Video verification to streamline authentication.
The Impact: Experience and Data-Driven Service
- Service Level: The overall abandonment rate plummeted by 62%, and average wait time was reduced to a matter of seconds.
- Efficiency: Average Handle Time (AHT) was slashed by 40% (from 298 seconds to 181 seconds).
- Capacity: The UIM platform and data insights increased service capacity by 42%, and the phone service quality level jumped from 75% to an outstanding 97%.
"The synergy between Alkami and Glia solidified our choice... The integration of these two systems promised to enhance our operational efficiency and improve member satisfaction." –Daniel Mijal, VP of Digital Strategy
Your Next Strategic Move: Future-Proofing for M&A
Can you predict in advance whether your organization will experience M&A activity in the next year? Maybe, maybe not. But you should be doing everything in your power to be future-proofing your organization right now. With Glia’s AI For All, banks and credit unions can streamline processes, promote operational efficiency, and create a consistent customer experience that doesn’t fluctuate when your call volumes do.
The time to begin unifying your customer interactions isn't after the press release announcing that you’re merging with another FI—it's before you’re bombarded with the onslaught of additional new customers.
Not sure if your contact center is likely to sink or swim if and when a merger or acquisition occurs? Schedule a demo today to see how Glia’s ChannelLess® Architecture ensures that both efficiency and customer experience improve (not erode) during times of inorganic growth.
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