CASE STUDIES
Vermont Federal Credit Union saw significant increases in Google and Facebook member review volume, as well as a decrease in negatives and improved star ratings, within four months of implementing Widewail’s Invite review generation solution.
Originally founded in 1953 as a service for government postal employees, Vermont Federal Credit Union became community chartered, open to all Vermont residents, in 2001. While their history is long and rich, over the last 20 years the institution has grown into a trusted financial option with a strong focus on security, innovation and member convenience.
Today they’ve made strides towards establishing themselves as one of the first local VT credit unions with a strong focus on member experience. With six locations, and as many internal teams serving members across the state, consistently managing Google and Facebook business reviews had to quickly become an area of focus.
Vermont Federal's Sales Relationship Manager, Sarah Marshall, already appreciated the importance of Google reviews to both organic search algorithms (local SEO), and member confidence in general, when the credit union was first introduced to Widewail.
“The positive feedback we were receiving from members at our physical locations was nowhere near accurately reflected in online reviews,” Sarah recalls. “We knew reviews were extremely important but had limited time and resources to develop a consistent strategy to increase review volume ourselves.”
Knowing happy members were in abundance, and regular attention to review management would pay dividends, Vermont Federal began searching for a partner who could help make the process easy for employees and members.
Sarah Marshall Sales Relationship Manager
As Sarah learned more about the customizable efficiency offered by Widewail’s intelligent review generation solution, she realized something important. If fully embraced by employees, Invite would work best when accompanied by an internal process aimed at making member sentiment growth and management consistent across all six of Vermont Federal's locations.
Positive review volume began to increase almost immediately, and within a short time, Vermont Federal had a working internal process in place for the Burlington, South Burlington, Milton, Vergennes, Middlebury and St. Albans branches.
Invite’s influence is not limited to increasing review volume. Vermont Federal Credit Union’s star ratings increased and their percentage of negative reviews decreased as Widewail’s solution became part of a regular routine at each branch.
“Invite really picked up speed once our team completed minimal training and grew comfortable using it consistently as part of everyday interactions with members,” Sarah points out. “By January the benefits were obvious at every location.”
After 120 days on Invite, combining all branches, Vermont Federal Credit Union:
The Middlebury location increased its lifetime review volume by 400% and star rating from 3.9 to 4.7 in that four-month period. Widewail congratulates Vermont Federal Credit Union on their reputation management progress to date, and we look forward to a long partnership that takes their performance to even higher levels.
To learn more about how we can help your business overcome challenges similar to those which faced Vermont Federal Credit Union, contact the Widewail Team today to schedule a demo, or have a look at our additional online review generation and reputation management case studies:
The team at Widewail looks forward to helping you redefine your business's online reputation and speaking with you soon.
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