They Didn’t Try to Reduce Calls. They Reduced Them by 20%

How CPM Federal Credit Union Improved Member Experience and Unlocked Efficiency

When CPM Federal Credit Union modernized its contact center, cost reduction wasn’t the goal.

“Our goal was never call avoidance,” said CEO James Gergen. “It was to meet members where they want to be met and how they choose to engage.”

At the same time, the team was navigating a full telephony overhaul. That created an opportunity to rethink the experience entirely.

A Decision That Wasn’t the Easy One

Regional VP Colby Tharpe first saw Posh at an industry conference and remembered it.

A year later, a separate internal team evaluating knowledge systems surfaced the same vendor.

“That’s when it clicked,” Tharpe said.

“Posh wasn’t the path of least resistance, as our phone provider was suggesting other AI solutions,” Gergen added. “But Posh offered the biggest opportunity.”

Instead of incremental change, CPM chose to replace its legacy IVR with conversational AI.

Breaking Free from the Menu Trap

Before Posh, the experience was familiar:

• Rigid phone menus
• Limited after-hours support
• High volumes of repetitive “snap calls”

“You get locked into those menus,” Gergen said. “You don’t want to change them, even when you should.”

What stood out to Tharpe wasn’t just functionality. It was how it sounded.

“Posh was the most conversational AI I found,” he said.

With Posh, CPM launched Penny, an AI assistant handling more than 100 intents.

Instead of navigating menus, members now hear:

“How may I help you?”

20% Fewer Calls Without Trying

For years, CPM’s call volume was flat.

Then, six months after implementing Posh, calls requiring agents dropped by 20%.

“It was level, level, level… then down 20%,” Gergen said.

The key difference wasn’t deflection. It was access.

Members could now get answers instantly, even after hours. In fact, nearly 30% of interactions now happen outside of business hours.

“If a member gets their answer at 9 PM, that’s a call that never has to happen the next day.”

“We didn’t do this to reduce calls,” Gergen said. “The reduction happened naturally.”

Better Work for the Team

As routine calls shifted to AI, the work changed.

• Repetitive questions disappeared
• Complex conversations remained
• Handle time increased by design

“You’re putting humans on the work humans should be doing,” Gergen said.

For Tharpe’s team, the impact was immediate.

With fewer calls, agents had time to:

• Train and cross-skill
• Shadow other departments
• Build broader knowledge

“Time is something you don’t usually get in a contact center,” Tharpe said.

A Complex Rollout Done Right

The transition wasn’t simple. CPM replaced its phone system, moved off a touchtone platform, and coordinated across multiple vendors at the same time.

“Implementation was crazy,” Tharpe said. “There were so many moving pieces.”

But one thing stood out.

“Out of all the teams we worked with, Posh was the easiest. Seamless and clear.”

Efficiency That Fuels Growth

Although cost reduction wasn’t the goal, efficiency followed.

• 20% fewer agent-handled calls
• Headcount reduced through attrition
• More time for training and development

But the biggest impact showed up at the business level.

CPM achieved something historically difficult:

Growing assets faster than compensation and benefits costs.

“That’s been very hard for us to do,” Gergen said. “Posh is absolutely one of the things that helped make that possible.”

A Platform, Not a Point Solution

For CPM, this wasn’t just about voice.

“Everyone says they have AI,” Gergen said. “We didn’t want point solutions.”

Instead, they chose a platform approach and began building a unified knowledge strategy across the organization.

“We don’t want a knowledge base just for one department,” he said. “We want one for the whole credit union.”

That vision is now taking shape with Posh’s Knowledge Assistant.

CPM has already kicked off implementation, centralizing FAQs, policies, procedures, and internal knowledge into a single system that can support not just the contact center, but branch staff and teams across the organization.

“We’re really excited about what it can do,” Gergen said. “Getting the right answer quickly from a trusted source is a big deal, whether it’s in the contact center or in a branch.”

For CPM, the goal is clear. One platform. One source of truth. Consistent answers everywhere.

High-Tech That Enables High-Touch

At its core, CPM’s strategy is simple.

“Being high-tech helps us be high-touch.”

By focusing on member experience, CPM achieved both better service and stronger efficiency.

• Members get answers instantly
• Employees focus on meaningful work
• The organization grows more efficiently

“If I had to describe Posh in one word,” Gergen said, “impactful.”

Ready to stop managing call volume and start solving for it? Request a demo today.