300 West Wieuca Road
Building One
Suite 300
Atlanta GA 30342
678-781-7200
Fax 678-781-7239
www.williammills.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Joy Harper
Media Contact for Digital Dialogue
678.781.7208
Elizabeth Salter
Media Contact for Digital Dialogue
678.781.7224
Credit Unions Support Members During Natural Disasters with 24/7 Call Center
Services
-Digital Dialogue answers member requests in midst of Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricane GustavAuburn Hills, Mich., Oct. 01, 2008 – Digital Dialogue, a PSCU Financial Services company
and nationwide provider of 24/7 call center operations and software solutions to credit unions,
provided 24/7 call center services to Jacksonville, Fla.-based Coastline Federal Credit Union
during Tropical Storm Fay and Baton Rouge, La.-based LA DOTD Federal Credit Union during
Hurricane Gustav. Both credit unions were able to minimize business interruptions during
natural disasters with Digital Dialogue as a business continuity partner.
Coastline Federal Credit Union utilizes Digital Dialogue’s call center services for
overflow, backup and disaster recovery situations. Tropical Storm Fay, which made landfall Aug.
19 in Florida, displaced Coastline employees as a result of extensive flooding. Stephen Strum,
vice president of Retail Sales and Delivery for Coastline Federal Credit Union, had to rescue
three employees from the downtown branch location in Jacksonville. During Tropical Storm
Fay, Coastline Federal Credit Union’s emergency broadcast system directed incoming member
calls to Digital Dialogue, which enabled Strum to stay connected to his members while working
from home.
”Although we could not conduct service at any of the physical branch locations, we
wanted to ensure our members did not experience a lapse in service,” said Strum. “Digital
Dialogue made sure that no member request went unattended during this time of crisis.
Coastline was able to leverage Digital Dialogue’s 200 employees to meet our member’s needs,
regardless of the scope of what we were facing outside. This potentially disastrous scenario
ultimately was a win for our members, a win for Coastline and a win for Digital Dialogue in
demonstrating their commitment to total member care.”
Digital Dialogue provides LA DOTD Federal Credit Union with after hours and weekend
call center services. When Hurricane Gustav recently disrupted service at the credit union,
Digital Dialogue kept both members and staff informed by providing phone lines from which both
staff and members could receive status updates. Tracy Dreher, call center leader at LA DOTD
Federal Credit Union, credits text messaging capabilities as her only way of receiving
information the first two works days after the hurricane.
“My contact at Digital Dialogue provided me with her cell phone number prior to the
storm,” said Dreher. “Digital Dialogue’s willingness to provide us with their personal contact
information before the storm enabled us to stay up to speed with member interactions and staff
whereabouts via text messaging and Web site updates. Because of the outstanding service
provided by Digital Dialogue, we were able to serve our members without interruption even
though our branch offices were closed.”
“Ensuring that credit union members have access to their accounts and important
information along with keeping staff members informed is our highest priority during difficult
times,” said Peter Schmitt, president of Digital Dialogue. “Both Coastline Federal Credit Union
and LA DOTD Federal Credit Union put their members and staff first, and we were able to assist
in providing a seamless delivery of services for both credit unions.”
Working with PSCU Financial Services, Digital Dialogue is offering 90 days of free 24/7
call center assistance and lending services to the 180 credit unions that have been recently
impacted by Hurricane Ike.
About Coastline Federal Credit Union
Coastline Federal Credit Union was formed in 1936 by a group of Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad employees in Wilmington, N.C. By year-end, the credit union had 139 members and
assets of $753.00. In 2006, the NCUA approved a charter expansion to include 5 counties that
surround Duval County. As a result, any person who lives, works, worships or attends school in
Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau or St. Johns county is eligible to become a member of Coastline
Federal CU. For more information, visit http://www.coastlinefcu.org/.
About LA DOTD Federal Credit Union
LA DOTD Federal Credit Union has served the financial needs of the Louisiana
Department of Transportation and Development employees and their families for more than 65
years. Since 2002, the Credit Union’s membership field has also included the residents of
Livingston, Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes along with the employees and family members of
more than 200 Louisiana corporations. For more information about LA DOTD FCU, call (800)
436-8328 or visit www.ladotdfcu.org.
About Digital Dialogue
Digital Dialogue, a PSCU Financial Services company, is the nationwide provider of 24/7
financial call center operations and software solutions for credit unions ranging in asset size
from $5 million to more than $6 billion. Digital Dialogue products – which include call center
scripting solutions, custom loan applications with credit-union-defined decisioning and new
member enrollment with funding and sophisticated cross-selling – are designed around a
consistent user interface with the same decision criteria across all channels from the credit
union's Web site to its branches to its call center.
Digital Dialogue manages the Financial Service Centers Cooperative's Call Center
Outlet, the highest volume outlet in FSCC's shared branch network. For more information, visit
http://www.digital-dialogue.com/.
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