Beth Nelson and Morgan Jaeger knew they were in for a learning experience when they accepted marketing internships with Royal Credit Union through the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. They just didn’t know that “digital” would become an everyday word for them, both on the job and among their friends. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Royal Credit Union has consistently used digital tools to provide service and solutions.

“We found that college students like us really love it when companies make things easy,” said Beth, “and Royal’s digital options are a great example of that. From the Royal mobile app to the virtual assistant on the website, so much of what Royal does is designed to remove barriers for people.”

“From the Royal mobile app to the virtual assistant on the website, so much of what Royal does is designed to remove barriers for people.”

Royal Credit Union has had a feature-packed mobile app with an easy-to-use camera check deposit feature for years. Royal also added real-time alerts in early 2020 as a way for people to easily stay on top of their transactions and balances. But they recently took a step in a new direction with the launch of a virtual assistant named Val on rcu.org.

“It was interesting to have a hand in coming up with Val’s persona and getting to define who our virtual assistant is. It’s also cool to see how people are interacting with the assistant and getting answers to questions when they need it,” said Morgan. For the initial version of the Royal virtual assistant, conversations are scripted based on frequently asked questions or location-finding features, and anyone can interact with Val on rcu.org.

Another challenge was how to make offices available again once Royal was comfortable opening lobbies. Once again, a digital solution came to the rescue. “We got in on the ground level with Royal’s digital readiness efforts when we started in January,” explained Morgan. “It was such a great experience to see a lot of those digital plans move faster and faster in response to events this year. The online scheduling system was one of those digital readiness ideas that got put into action very quickly.” When looking at strategies to reopen office lobbies closed by the pandemic, the need for an appointment scheduling system became clear. Within weeks, the Royal team was able to provide people with a way to easily schedule an appointment at an office right from the Royal website.

“I know I’ll never forget this internship for two reasons,” said Beth. “First, it was absolutely eye-opening about how fast things are moving behind the scenes at Royal. There is a culture of constant change to meet the needs of Royal’s Members. And second, Royal’s response to the pandemic was amazing to see. Royal worked with Members to offer options like loans and deferred payments. I was proud to be a part of a place that stood by its values during a difficult time for many people.” Morgan agreed, and added, “I was honestly surprised that we even got to continue our internships. Royal set us up to work remotely just like everyone else, and we got to be on the same video calls as everyone else. I see that same level of commitment and flexibility in what they offer Members. Being part of these digital projects really felt like I was bringing the future a little bit closer to people every day!”

This fall, the two interns are busy planning a new project from start to finish. It aims to show college-age young adults why they should choose Royal Credit Union. And not surprisingly, the digital services that Morgan and Beth are so familiar with are playing a leading role.

HUNGRY FOR MORE FROM ROYAL CREDIT UNION?

When looking for ways to offer financial advice to more people, Royal cooked up the idea of starting a podcast. The result is still baking and waiting for the finishing touches, but be on the lookout for something sweet coming soon!

ROYAL CREDIT UNION
Locations throughout Chippewa Valley
(800) 341-9911
www.rcu.org