1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:11,440 David Latona: Welcome to Co-op Conversations with DEMCO, where we talk about the topics that impact your power, 2 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,840 your co-op, and your community. I'm your host, David Latona. 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:21,520 Joining me today is Galen Dunbar, DEMCO's Chief Member Services Officer. 4 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:23,800 Welcome to the podcast, Galen. 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,000 Galen Dunbar: Thank you, David, I'm excited to be here. 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,160 David Latona: So, Galen, tell me a little bit about you. 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,120 How long have you been at DEMCO? 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,120 Galen Dunbar: I've been with DEMCO for 14 years now. 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:41,720 I started out in our consumer accounting department, which is kind of like today's phone center or contact center, 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,360 and now I serve as the chief officer of the department. 11 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,240 David Latona: So always in that member services world at DEMCO. 12 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,280 Galen Dunbar: Absolutely. 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,480 David Latona: That's so great. So you are the expert in this field. 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:01:02,070 We can't wait to hear what you've got to say about the department and how your team is serving those folks. 15 00:01:02,070 --> 00:01:09,750 Speaking of that, what is it that your team does every day, the day-to-day actions of the member services 16 00:01:09,750 --> 00:01:10,430 team? 17 00:01:10,470 --> 00:01:18,470 Galen Dunbar: I like to describe it as the member services team is responsible for the member facing operations of the business. 18 00:01:18,790 --> 00:01:25,350 So we have a contact center that is staffed with member services representatives to assist our members that call in for 19 00:01:25,350 --> 00:01:32,790 assistance. We also have district representatives that serve our members at the seven district offices across the parishes that we 20 00:01:32,790 --> 00:01:40,070 serve. We also have our meter readers and our team that is responsible for ensuring that all bills that we send out to the 21 00:01:40,070 --> 00:01:44,070 members are accurate. So a lot of responsibility, a lot of member touch, 22 00:01:44,070 --> 00:01:47,710 but we're happy to provide that experience to our members. 23 00:01:47,870 --> 00:01:50,270 Honestly, that's what keeps our team motivated. 24 00:01:51,110 --> 00:01:56,830 David Latona: Wow, that is so many members. I know that your team is serving, you know, 25 00:01:56,870 --> 00:02:00,140 thousands of interactions from those folks every month. 26 00:02:00,460 --> 00:02:04,700 So all of your team members, are they all local to the DEMCO footprint? 27 00:02:04,940 --> 00:02:09,740 Galen Dunbar: Yes, they're all local, and it's actually essential to the co-op business model. 28 00:02:09,780 --> 00:02:13,860 Being a local business and providing local service is important to us. 29 00:02:14,220 --> 00:02:18,460 We speak with members that want to speak with someone that's in the office closest to their home, 30 00:02:18,460 --> 00:02:20,300 or just in Louisiana in general. 31 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:24,700 And they're often surprised to know that, hey, you may be speaking to someone that's right around the 32 00:02:24,700 --> 00:02:29,820 corner from you. So local service is definitely important to our team and to our co-op. 33 00:02:30,260 --> 00:02:33,380 David Latona: On a weekly basis, when are they in the offices? 34 00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:38,180 Galen Dunbar: So our MSRs are in the office Monday through Friday, 8 to 4:30 p.m. 35 00:02:38,260 --> 00:02:41,580 We also accept calls and chats during that time as well. 36 00:02:41,860 --> 00:02:47,340 And the members can reach our member service representatives by calling 1-844-MY-DEMCO, 37 00:02:47,340 --> 00:02:52,260 or by accessing their account on the mobile app or desktop. 38 00:02:52,500 --> 00:03:00,490 David Latona: That's so great. There's so many ways that DEMCO members can reach your team members to help them solve their matter or 39 00:03:00,530 --> 00:03:02,810 make their payment. All that's good to know. 40 00:03:02,850 --> 00:03:07,170 I love that DEMCO focuses on that local service. 41 00:03:07,530 --> 00:03:11,290 Galen Dunbar: Definitely. Member experience is at the heart of everything we do at DEMCO. 42 00:03:11,330 --> 00:03:17,770 Whether it's online or in person or over the phone, every interaction is an opportunity for us to serve our members 43 00:03:17,770 --> 00:03:22,010 well. To listen to them, to help them, to make each experience pleasant, 44 00:03:22,010 --> 00:03:24,450 professional, valuable, and helpful. 45 00:03:24,690 --> 00:03:32,050 David Latona: So it's your goal to get the help that our members need, to get that to them as quickly as 46 00:03:32,050 --> 00:03:35,170 possible so they can get back to their day. 47 00:03:35,810 --> 00:03:40,930 Galen Dunbar: That's right. We understand that calling about an account is not everybody's favorite thing to do. 48 00:03:41,050 --> 00:03:44,330 But when you need to reach us, we want that process to be stress free. 49 00:03:44,370 --> 00:03:49,970 We want it to be straightforward as possible, and we want our members to know that we are really invested in 50 00:03:50,010 --> 00:03:52,970 making each experience they have with us a positive one. 51 00:03:53,410 --> 00:04:01,040 David Latona: I hear you've got some exciting news to share about some updated technology that is specifically for 52 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,600 helping that member when they need to call us. 53 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:05,440 Tell me about that. 54 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:11,080 Galen Dunbar: Yes. So we are very excited about the launch of our new contact center platform. 55 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:18,000 This platform has been designed by our Member Services team, with the goal of making every interaction we have with our member 56 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,520 faster, smoother, and more personal. 57 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:24,280 One of the biggest improvements is that all interactions with our members, 58 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:29,920 whether they call us, email us, or send us a chat, they're all integrated into one system. 59 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:36,560 So if a member has to reach out to us a second time, our MSR that is assisting that member will have the full picture 60 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,600 of the member's interaction with us, whether they called yesterday, 61 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,600 today, or even five minutes ago. 62 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,520 David Latona: That's a big step forward, and I know our members will appreciate that also. 63 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:53,440 So let's talk about some of the new features that make calling DEMCO a better experience. 64 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:58,400 Galen Dunbar: So as I mentioned, member services is often the first point of contact for our members. 65 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,360 To make that experience even better, we've upgraded our contact center platform. 66 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,880 The phone number is still the same 844-MY-DEMCO. 67 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,160 We do have new features that we expect will transform how we connect with our members, 68 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,840 making service faster, more convenient and comprehensive. 69 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:20,960 David Latona: I think as a consumer of any business, right, the most frustrating thing about calling a business is 70 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:27,200 having to wait on hold. And I know that sometimes a hold time might just be for a couple of minutes, 71 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,480 but when you've got some issue that can seem like forever. 72 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:38,800 Galen Dunbar: Yes, David, which is why I'm so excited to share that one of my new favorite features of our phone system is the call back 73 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:44,200 option. If hold times are longer than we expect, our members will not have to wait on hold. 74 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,600 They'll just simply select the option for a callback which holds their place in line, 75 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,400 and the system will call them automatically when it's their turn. 76 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,550 So no waiting, no losing your place in the queue. 77 00:05:54,590 --> 00:05:58,190 Just whatever's convenient for you, we're happy to help. 78 00:05:59,110 --> 00:06:02,310 David Latona: Just not having to sit and wait on the phone is such a relief. 79 00:06:02,350 --> 00:06:05,510 No losing your place in line. I mean, what a win. 80 00:06:05,910 --> 00:06:08,870 What are some of the other features that you're excited about? 81 00:06:08,950 --> 00:06:14,710 Galen Dunbar: We now offer a fully Spanish language phone menu, which makes it easier for our Spanish speaking members to 82 00:06:14,750 --> 00:06:17,830 navigate from the start. It's really been a need in our community, 83 00:06:17,830 --> 00:06:21,630 and this new system finally gives us the tools to serve our members in that way. 84 00:06:22,030 --> 00:06:25,750 Then there's something members won't necessarily see, but they'll feel, 85 00:06:25,750 --> 00:06:29,710 which is for the first time, all of our communications are unified calls: 86 00:06:29,710 --> 00:06:34,110 calls, recording, chat, email, everything is all in one system. 87 00:06:34,230 --> 00:06:40,510 So again, if a member has to contact us multiple times, the MSR will be presented with all of the information so the 88 00:06:40,510 --> 00:06:43,510 member is not repeating themselves or anything of that nature. 89 00:06:43,830 --> 00:06:49,030 David Latona: I mean, that's really powerful. I don't have to repeat myself to a new member service rep. 90 00:06:49,470 --> 00:06:54,180 And as a member, it's great knowing that whoever answers my call, 91 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:59,780 they already have that context. They even maybe see those steps of what has been done already. 92 00:07:00,060 --> 00:07:02,660 It just makes the whole experience smoother in my opinion. 93 00:07:02,780 --> 00:07:07,420 What does it take to roll out something as large as a phone system like this? 94 00:07:07,420 --> 00:07:10,020 Galen Dunbar: So we've actually been at this for a while. 95 00:07:10,060 --> 00:07:15,100 Last year, as our leadership team of DEMCO was mapping out our strategic goals, 96 00:07:15,260 --> 00:07:19,300 we wanted to place an emphasis on enhancing the member experience. 97 00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:24,460 And member experience for us is really important when it comes to response times. 98 00:07:24,700 --> 00:07:31,420 So what we knew at that point is that if we were ever going to make an improvement to how fast we respond to our members or what 99 00:07:31,420 --> 00:07:34,580 information we give to our members, we needed the tools to do that. 100 00:07:34,820 --> 00:07:40,620 So our team began reaching out to our network of other large co-ops that have the same makeup as us. 101 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:45,020 You know, a contact center, district offices kind of have the same responsibilities we have. 102 00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:52,450 And we asked, "Hey, what tools are you using to increase member satisfaction as it relates to the response?" So the platform that 103 00:07:52,450 --> 00:07:55,530 we selected, it was highly recommended. 104 00:07:55,770 --> 00:07:57,810 And once we got that information. 105 00:07:57,890 --> 00:08:01,090 Our member services team met with our information technology team, 106 00:08:01,090 --> 00:08:05,130 and we began that journey of vetting the product to see if it would be a fit for DEMCO. 107 00:08:05,490 --> 00:08:09,450 So the goal was always simple. We wanted members to notice the improvement, 108 00:08:09,450 --> 00:08:12,050 but we didn't necessarily want them to notice any change. 109 00:08:12,050 --> 00:08:18,210 And we've really tried hard to let that be our guide as we design this platform. 110 00:08:18,250 --> 00:08:23,250 David Latona: What a great way to put that. Notice the improvement, but not necessarily the change. 111 00:08:23,410 --> 00:08:29,170 I think members will really appreciate the care that went into making this work for them. 112 00:08:29,690 --> 00:08:34,130 So Galen, does it still have that self-serve menu for the quick items I want, 113 00:08:34,170 --> 00:08:40,770 like to pay my bill or check a balance when I don't need the extended services of your team? 114 00:08:41,210 --> 00:08:47,930 Galen Dunbar: Of course, members can still call in and use self-service options to pay a bill to check their balance or to report an outage. 115 00:08:47,930 --> 00:08:51,240 All of that without needing to speak with the member service representative. 116 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:54,360 David Latona: Wow, that is truly transformative. 117 00:08:54,800 --> 00:09:01,360 Members may not see all the technology behind it, but they'll definitely feel the difference when they make that 118 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:02,840 call to DEMCO. 119 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,280 Galen Dunbar: Exactly. So our goal, like I said, has always been the same. 120 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,160 We want to enhance the experience of our members. 121 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:15,000 That is one of our organization's strategic goals, and that's a goal that this team is aggressively pursuing. 122 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:21,160 David Latona: Thank you so much, Galen. There's a lot to learn about how DEMCO serves its members, 123 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,160 and of course, through the member services department. 124 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:30,760 That is paramount. That wraps up this episode of Co-op Conversations with DEMCO. 125 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,960 Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 126 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,960 If you like what you heard, leave us a review and share this episode with a friend. 127 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,000 For Galen Dunbar, I'm David Latona. 128 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,000 Let's keep the conversation going.