Member Onboarding For The Digital Age

People First Federal Credit Union ($898.3M, Allentown, PA) has undergone a major transformation the past two years.

After changing charters in 2023 from community to multiple common bond, the credit union rapidly expanded into new, more geographically diverse areas. Suddenly its membership wasn’t just in the Leigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Now, People First serves members throughout New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well.

To effectively serve these areas, the credit union adopted a digital-first approach for the new territories while maintaining a traditional service model in its original footprint.

“We’ve essentially upgraded to function as both a digital credit union and a traditional one,” says CEO Howie Meller.

Today, People First has nine branches in its traditional service area. In the new territories, smaller branches serve primarily as points of contact while heavily relying on technology. This includes an entirely new onboarding process for new members when they join online.

“The first 45 days are crucial in terms of the conversations we hope to have and intentionally reaching out. After that, it’s kind of set it and forget it. We want to keep them informed of what we’re doing and that we’re available whenever they want to speak to us.”

Meeting Members Where They Are (Online)

It makes sense why more financial institutions are investing in technologies that improve their digital banking experience. PYMNTS Intelligence research released in December found that 80% of Gen Z and 81% of millennials report digital banking as their core banking preference.

“People just want to be able to bank anywhere, anytime that they want, and our membership is diverse. They just have different ways they want to go about doing their banking,” Meller says.

Meller says it takes about three minutes for a new member to open an account online. Assuming they meet all the requirements of membership, they’re able to begin using the account immediately, with a debit card to follow in the mail soon after.

“We’re working on a digital wallet right now as well, but until we get that, they have to wait for the plastic to be sent to them,” the CEO says.

The next day, the new member receives a phone call from a staffer on the People First onboarding team. The conversation usually involves thanking the new member for joining, explaining what to expect, and exploring any additional needs the credit union might be able to meet. From there, their information is loaded into HubSpot, a popular marketing tool the credit union adopted to enhance its communications.

Once the credit union knows a member’s buyer persona, the correspondence they receive is customized through HubSpot based on those preferences. That way members aren’t inundated with irrelevant emails, and they’ll get the best financial advice and offers for their personal situation.

“We’ll know right away whether or not we can offer them a credit card or an auto loan or a home equity,” Meller says. “So, they may receive some information about that from us as well.”

Between digital channels and follow-up phone calls from staff, the full onboarding process takes a little over a month.

“The first 45 days are crucial in terms of the conversations we hope to have and intentionally reaching out,” Meller says. “After that, it’s kind of set it and forget it. We want to keep them informed of what we’re doing and that we’re available whenever they want to speak to us.”

Communication has been the biggest challenge with this new approach. For example, how many touchpoints is too many? It took some troubleshooting to figure out how to not over-communicate with members while also making sure they don’t feel neglected.

“We also integrated interactive teller machines [ITMs] into a lot of our locations at the same time we rolled out this onboarding process,” Meller says. “That meant training our staff on how to have an effective conversation that way rather than face-to-face, which can be a lot different.”

A Measurable Impact On Member Satisfaction

People First sends members surveys twice a year to gauge how happy they are with the credit union. Since introducing this new onboarding process as a part of its digital-first approach, the credit union’s Net Promoter Score has risen

“Members really enjoy having the flexibility to have that conversation either through the interactive tele-machine, the digital banking app, or just via text,” Meller says.

Meller adds that members also complete quick surveys as a part of any interaction they have with the credit union. This is done through a partnership with Qualtrics. Members are prompted to give an answer out of five stars. Right now, People First’s average is a score of 4.84.

“I’m pretty impressed by that. It’s great to see members are really enjoying and pleased with the services we’re providing through the alternate channels,” Meller says.

To further expand its availability to members, People First plans to introduce a second shift to accommodate those who have difficulty accessing services during regular banking hours. This shift will last until 11 p.m. and is expected to be introduced by early 2026.

In the meantime, continuing to embrace technology remains a big part of the credit union’s strategic vision. For example, the credit union’s partnership with Eltropy allows for easy document signings and the ability to navigate conversations through either voice, chat, or video seamlessly. People First has also adopted AI to automate certain internal processes, such as remote process automation.

“We all offer the same products. We all offer the same services, but it’s how we deliver on what we’re offering that makes a difference,” Meller says. “Otherwise, you’re not going to be around forever. That’s why you need to embrace the changes.”

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