Following up with your members is just as important as sending them the survey. Below are some best practices to help your team take action and complete effective member follow up.
Enable Alerts
Enable automated alerts to be notified right away if a member gives a low score, requests follow up, or requests additional information about a product or service. These alerts are tied directly to the Saves and Opportunities tabs of the Saves, Opportunities, and Social Media report.
To enable alerts, please follow the steps outlined in our MemberXP Alerts resource. This will ensure you are notified directly so you can follow up with members in a timely manner.
Follow up with Members
The timeframe in which follow up should be completed is a little different for every credit union based on their expectations and priorities. You should set a goal that outlines your credit union’s expectations for how quickly follow up should be completed (I.E. 24 hours, 2 business days, 7 days, etc.).
Our best practice is to follow up with the member within 2 business days. This prompt follow up will ensure that the experience and survey are still fresh in the member’s mind and will show the member the importance of their feedback to the credit union.
Alerts and their aging can be monitored in the Saves, Opportunities, and Social Media report to keep tabs on what alerts are still open, unresolved, or in progress via the "Status" column.
Do Your Research
Before following up, it’s important to do your research to help you get the most out of the interaction. For example, you will want to identify the member’s preferred contact method. MemberView identifies members’ preference and collects their email address or phone number on the survey. You can identify their preferred method and contact information on the Saves and Opportunities tabs of the Saves, Opportunities, and Social Media report.
You will also want to understand what prompted the alert. Did the member give a low score? Did they request follow up? Use the alert, the Saves, Opportunities, and Social Media report, and review the survey to understand what happened during their experience and what they need before contacting them.
Introduce Yourself and Get Right to the Point
When contacting the member, start the email or call with a brief pleasantry, but get right to the point. A good introduction might be something such as, “Good morning, Mr. Axtell. This is Betty Smith from the Main Street Branch of Your Credit Union. I’m calling in regard to a survey we received from you. Is this a good time to talk?”
Summarize the Member’s Comment and Check for Understanding
Once you have identified yourself and the purpose of your call, summarize the member’s comment if you have one and verify your understanding. It might sound like this: “In reading your comment, I saw that you didn’t get a response to your online loan application. Is that correct?” The member may want to vent about their experience at this point. It’s important to listen and let the member tell their own story before rushing in with a solution.
Provide a Solution
If you’ve done your research and you’re able to rectify the situation, apologize to the member and let them know what you’ve done. Even if you can’t give the member what they want, (I.E. approving a loan that has been denied) focus the member on what you can do. Perhaps you can set up an appointment with your credit counseling service or suggest a share-secured option.
Always End with a Future Focus
End the email or call with your personal assurance that you are there for the member. Nothing is more impressive to a member than knowing they have a personal advocate at the credit union.
Document Your Follow Up
Once you have connected with the member and feel the situation has been resolved, you should indicate this on the Saves, Opportunities, and Social Media report.
Add a note to the survey explaining the outcome of your follow up and change the status to Resolved to communicate with your team that follow up is complete.
