#2219: Why Community First Employed a Chatbot Named 'Maggie' to Provide Enhanced Member Service...

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Community First Credit Union CEO Todd Sheffield returned to the show to share why they employed an artificial intelligence chatbot named "Maggie" to provide enhanced member service. (Side note: Maggie was the name of the credit union's very first paid employee 55 years ago.)

Todd says AI Maggie, which is located on the credit union's homepage, can answer three categories of questions from members:

1. banter items to give her some personality
2. FAQs for commonly asked questions
3. account access so members can easily access their account information and make transfers (possibly the only credit union in the country that can do this with a chatbot)

Todd adds that he and his tech team added the chatbot because text and chat are two of the most common ways people communicate today. To get ahead of the service curve, they thought it was a good time to implement this automated technology last December (2019).

Since then, usage of the chatbot has steadily risen at a healthy rate -- especially during the pandemic. Todd will even tell you, as he does in our interview, where the chatbot button should be located on the website's homepage. And it's not where you would traditionally see it.

He also shares all the integrations for which they use Maggie -- ultimately, making her a single point of contact for members.

Really a fun interview on yet another way credit unions are being truly innovative serving their members. Check it out and let us know your thoughts.