Service 1st Federal Credit Union: Generating Revenue, Reinvesting in People

From Cost Center to Growth Driver, Powered by People

For years, you’ve been told the right tech will turn your contact center from a cost center into a revenue driver. But you know growth comes from people—the right tech just unlocks their potential.

When Service 1st Federal Credit Union saw an opportunity to convert more loans, it knew it had the right team. It only needed the tech to let them shine. 

That’s when the credit union turned to Glia—and drove powerful impact across the business. 

With AI automating routine inquiries, Service 1st handled more volume without extra headcount, gained budget flexibility to grow its digital loan team, and gave its in-branch staff more time to focus on member relationships. It all adds up to a 21% increase in loan growth from the digital center, stronger relationships, and scalability for the future.

Here’s how Service 1st pulled it off.

Challenge: Drowning Under A Waterfall of Calls 

Converting loans requires stepping up for members the moment they need help—especially in a crowded landscape full of competitors. As Chris Court, Service 1st’s Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, notes, “If you're not serving members where they are, somebody else will.”

That’s why Service 1st created a digital team solely dedicated to driving loan growth by providing immediate, proactive care. But there was just one problem: High call volume forced Service 1st to use its digital team as overflow for its contact center—forcing them to be reactive rather than drive growth.

“Our digital center was always meant to be a loan generation center,” Court said. “But when members would call in, we would see a waterfall of calls all at once, forcing our digital team to take on a service center role.”

Service 1st’s aging telephony system was to blame. While the credit union had already delighted members and agents by switching to Glia Digital, its antiquated phone tech was holding everyone back. The main culprits included: 

• An outdated IVR system that forced members to navigate frustrating menus with limited routing options, leading to long wait times and high abandonment rates
• Lack of voice self-service led callers to inundate agents with phone calls for routine inquiries
• Inefficient call transfer process left agents flying blind, lacking crucial context from previous interactions
• No after-hours phone support led to overwhelming volume during normal business hours
• Inefficient manual processes forced agents to spend too much time on tedious tasks rather than helping members
• Limited reporting prevented Service 1st from making smart decisions about coaching, training, and workforce planning

These inefficiencies compromised Service 1st’s member relationships—and its ability to generate new business. With the digital team handling overflow volume, members with loan questions had to pass through the call center before waiting for an in-branch representative. It all led to a circuitous maze of calls where no one won:

• Applicants had to wait too long for service, giving them time to shop around with competitors and take their business elsewhere
• In-branch staff had to divert attention from in-person members to assist callers with loan questions, compromising member care
• The digital team was too busy handling overflow to fulfill its mission of driving revenue

Tired of deciding between member care and revenue growth, Service 1st called on Glia—and found a way to do both.

Solution: The Combined Power of Voice AI and Digital

Service 1st decided to implement Glia Voice to extend the efficiency it had already gained with Glia Digital—and empower its agents to do their best work. 

First, the credit union deployed Voice AI to replace its outdated IVR. The conversational Glia Virtual Assistant (GVA), designed specifically for banks and credit unions, acted as the first line of defense for every phone call. Built to handle 900+ banking journeys, the GVA automates routine inquiries without human help, 24/7, letting Service 1st’s agents focus on more high-value work. 

Glia Voice also gave Service 1st AI-powered routing to quickly get every caller to the right place—no more wandering paths, long wait times, and high abandonment. When members needed agent support, AI Transfer Summary would prep agents with context, helping them personalize service and dive straight into problem-solving rather than asking questions. 

Next, Service 1st unified its digital and voice channels via the Glia platform. By turning to ChannelLess® infrastructure, the credit union ensured that its Voice AI would mesh seamlessly with Glia Digital tools, creating a smooth, fully connected experience for members and staff. 

Finally, Service 1st deployed Glia’s Agent AI tools, like Interaction Wrap-Up, to automate post-call documentation and give agents valuable time back. 

With AI freeing up agents from routine phone calls and tedious manual tasks, Service 1st was ready to put the power back in the hands of its team. 

Results: People-Powered Growth, Backed By AI

Voice AI quickly delivered the efficiency Service 1st needed to get its agents out from underwater—and into a position to drive growth. The Glia Virtual Assistant, which Service 1st nicknamed “Scout”, proved instrumental in this shift. 

Scout answered 100% of Service 1st’s calls—at all hours—fully handling 37% without agent assistance. With AI also improving call routing and automating manual agent processes, Service 1st generated eye-popping efficiency gains across the board:

• 96% reduction in call abandonment rate
• 91% decrease in average wait time
• 15% decrease in monthly calls handled by agents
• 40% reduction in time spent on post-call work, saving 33 hours of agent work per month

These improvements helped Service 1st save a remarkable 69 hours of agent time per week. Rather than pocketing the time savings, Service 1st grew its digital loan team, setting itself up to deliver better service to members while also driving new revenue.

AI was the key to Service 1st’s people-powered transformation. By automating high-volume inquiries, Service 1st freed its in-branch team to concentrate on member service while its digital team shifted from overflow support to loan growth.  

The result? More time to build relationships with members and a 21% increase in loan dollars from the digital center. Through the first half of 2025, the digital center led all Service 1st’s retail branches in terms of loan growth and volume. 

Outcome: Generating Revenue, Reinvesting in Relationships

Turning to Voice AI didn’t just position Service 1st to increase loan growth. It empowered its digital team to create outsized impact across the business. 

“Our digital center is now our fastest-growing loan generator,” Court said. “They’re driving impact without even working on higher-dollar real estate loans.”

Better Tools, Expert Service, and the Freedom to Innovate

The digital team’s success speaks to the combined power of AI efficiency and better tech letting people offer better service. With the GVA freeing agents from routine inquiries, Service 1st’s digital team finally has the time to proactively step up when loan applicants needed help:

• The digital team uses Live Observation to identify when loan applicants are stuck at potential drop-off points, like uploading proof of income
• Agents can then jump in, using collaborative tools like CoBrowsing or video chat to guide applicants forward and prevent abandonment
• Loan specialists immediately reach out when members schedule a loan appointment, proactively building momentum toward conversion rather than waiting

At the same time, Service 1st now has the freedom to explore using new technology—with the confidence agents are standing by to offer expert service on the other side. 

Service 1st now offers Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs) in the drive-up of its newest branch location, with a dedicated member of its digital team standing by if members have questions. Members either press a button when they need help or the agent request is automatically cued, letting Service 1st continue offering hands-on member care even as it expands its technology—and sets itself up to scale.

“Instead of waiting, why not put in ITMs when we open new locations?” Court said. “We plan on adding more ITMs to some of our locations in the future.”

Time Back to Strengthen Member Relationships

For Service 1st, investing in new technology and driving growth supports the credit union’s primary focus: serving its members. With Voice AI freeing the digital team to focus on loan growth, the in-branch team is available to give members the undivided attention they deserve.

“Our branches have always been relationship-focused, but now more than ever,” Court said. “Glia has helped allow the branches to focus more on in-person service and less time getting back to someone who may have left a voicemail.”

Spending more time on building relationships doesn’t just increase member loyalty and trust. It also creates a cascading effect that leads to future business growth. 

“Instead of jumping right into the sales process, agents are now having a conversation about a relationship,” Court said. “More time to build relationships today makes it easier to have conversations about loans tomorrow.” 

Committed to its Employees for the Long-Haul

While Service 1st continues to strengthen member relationships, it remains focused on its most important asset: its people.

"Our people are the key to our success," Court said. "We never intended to replace humans with technology. Instead, we aimed to enhance our live agent support by integrating AI to handle routine member questions, field after-hours requests, and provide smooth transitions."

While Voice AI shields agents from repetitive low-value questions, Interaction Wrap-Up saves them time on the back end of calls—33 hours per month, to be exact. 

Service 1st has been intentional about reinvesting the time savings back in agents. Instead of viewing it as “extra time,” the credit union leveraged AI efficiency to sharpen KPIs, accelerate member service, and provide more opportunities for agent development — all while supporting the continued growth of its digital team.

“With the time saved using Glia’s suite of AI solutions, we can now provide more coaching and training for agents,” said Sarah Zinga, Service 1st’s Vice President of Digital Solutions. “They’re also now more involved in committees within the contact center.”

Giving agents time back has a powerful impact on their overall experience at work, Zinga says. “Instead of just going call after call, they now feel better as an all-around employee."

Next Steps: Continued Growth, With a Commitment to People

While Service 1st’s conversion of its call center into a revenue driver is impressive, it’s even more impressive that the credit union has grown its business while doubling down on its commitment to its people. Rather than treating AI efficiency strictly as a cost-saving initiative, Service 1st proves the enormous value of reinvesting in your people and your business.

The credit union is set to continue that investment in the coming year. Expecting to drive even more traffic to its digital loan and deposit application, Service 1st plans to gain even more value out of its AI—so it can grow its business without overloading its staff.

With that goal in mind, Service 1st is deploying Glia AI Intercept to drive even more containment with the GVA. AI Intercept predicts member needs based on previous interactions, then customizes greetings accordingly, boosting AI adoption among members. As Service 1st uses tools like AI Intercept to increase containment, its agents can offer the same one-on-one attention to members who really need help—even while growing the business. 

Going forward, Service 1st is confident it has built a scalable model for the future while keeping people at the center of everything. It all comes back to a core philosophy: AI shouldn’t replace your people; it should empower them to do better work.

“Calls are no longer coming in like a waterfall,” Court said. “They’re just trickling in, so our staff has time to answer them very quickly. It helps us continue offering that personalized service, even as we’ve transitioned from a service center to a loan-generation center.”

How Will You Use Your AI Efficiency Gains?

Service 1st’s success with Glia proves that AI efficiency can let you take a people-first approach to elevating your contact center and growing your business. But one question remains: What will you do with your AI efficiency gains?

It’s time to find out. Reach out today to learn how Glia can help.