WEOKIE faced surging call volumes, long wait times, and high agent attrition with their legacy phone system ending. They urgently needed a secure, scalable solution to automate calls and protect member experience.
By implementing Voice and Chat AI, WEOKIE has transformed both the member and agent experience. The solutions have improved efficiency, reduced pressure on staff, and elevated service quality across calls.
wait times
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In 1969, the employees of Western Electric of Oklahoma pooled their resources to form a not-for-profit federal credit union to secure the individual financial interests of the community and workplace members. They named it WEOKIE (WE = Western Electric, OKIE = Oklahoma). Today, WEOKIE Federal Credit Union has grown to become one of the largest financial institutions in Oklahoma, serving over 64,000 members with a commitment to financial security, low fees, and member-first service.
With a strong focus on delivering exceptional support and fostering trust with its members, WEOKIE found itself facing challenges similar to many other credit unions:
Without a system in place, they knew they would face high call volumes, long hold times, frustrated members, and high staff attribution.
“Staffing our contact center was a huge challenge. We were constantly losing agents because they were burned out from the stress of high call volume and repetitive tasks. And so when agents left, the remaining team was forced to shoulder an even heavier workload. It was a vicious cycle.”
WEOKIE recognized that they needed to replace the phone banking system with technology that could handle their high call volume. Expanding staff alone wasn’t a sustainable solution. The technology also had to improve efficiency, offer the highest security, and be future-proof.
WEOKIE saw an opportunity to transform its member experience with AI-driven call automation. With CUELINE end of life coming soon, WEOKIE set out to find an AI-powered voice assistant that could replace the phone banking system and:
• Automate routine inquiries and free up agents to spend more time with members on complex issues
• Drastically cut hold times to improve the member experience
• Improve fraud prevention with advanced authentication
“The biggest thing that stood out to me about interface.ai,” shared Rhonda Neathery, WEOKIE’s VP, Digital Branch, “was how it prioritized member service. It wasn’t just about automation for automation’ sake – it was about making sure we provided our members with the best support and made them still feel cared for.”
The team conducted an in-depth analysis of multiple vendors, including Posh AI and Boost AI. However, interface.ai’s Voice AI Agent stood out as the clear choice with specialized banking AI solutions built for credit unions.
WEOKIE worked closely with interface.ai to strategically roll out Voice AI in
phases. The first phase focused on high-frequency queries – like balance checks, transfers, and account information. Advanced API integrations ensured that
even loan payments and password resets could be handled seamlessly by AI. Throughout the implementation, interface.ai’s dedicated team provided
hands-on guidance.
Our implementation experience with interface.ai was fantastic. Their team walked us through every step, explained decisions, and helped us maximize AI’s potential. This was invaluable because this was my first time dealing with AI. I don’t think we could have done it without their support.
By implementing interface.ai’s Voice AI Agent, WEOKIE saw immediate improvements in call wait times, operational costs, and agent satisfaction. When WEOKIE stopped using their existing automated phone banking system, they feared call volumes to agents would soar , putting immense pressure on the contact center.
However, with interface.ai’s Voice AI Agent in place, 66% of incoming calls are automated. This hasn’t just kept call volumes manageable – it has gone above and beyond their previous system, automating more queries than ever before, dramatically reducing wait times, and cutting operational costs.
Voice AI has transformed the contact center’s wait times. Previously, members sometimes waited over 30 minutes for an agent. Now, most calls are answered in under 30 seconds. At peak times, wait times rarely exceed 2–4 minutes. The new AI system has also driven significant cost savings. By reducing the need for additional staffing and improving efficiency, WEOKIE has saved over $800,000 in one year.
“We’ve seen such a big improvement in the member experience since introducing interface.ai’s Voice AI Agent. Members have gone from waiting 20 to 30 minutes to speak to an agent, to often less than 30 seconds. It’s such a difference from where we were before with IVR.”
The impact extended beyond efficiency. With the Voice AI Agent managing such a high call volume, agents are no longer overwhelmed by repetitive calls and can focus on meaningful, complex member conversations. As well as improving member engagement, this shift has improved morale and job satisfaction. This has resulted in lower agent turnover, creating a stable team of 17 agents.
Another standout result is the ability to provide 24/7 member support. In December 2024 alone, the Voice AI handled over 9,000 after-hours calls, ensuring members always had access to assistance, regardless of the time of day.
“Voice AI has transformed our staffing issues. With over 60% of queries automated, our staff are no longer overwhelmed by a high call volume, or demoralised by repetitive queries. They’re able to focus on meaningful interactions with members, which makes their jobs more fulfilling. As a result, we’ve seen a significant drop in turnover and have built a stable, happy workforce that we don’t need to expand, despite high call volumes.”
When modernizing their digital member service experience, WEOKIE considered deploying live chat on the website but made a deliberate decision against it. Instead, they implemented interface.ai’s Chat AI to handle queries and seamlessly direct members to call in via phone if they required human assistance.
Like many other financial institutions, WEOKIE discovered that Chat AI can handle most common queries on the website, and those that needed human assistance were complex and needed multi-factor authentication. Such queries can be best handled over a phone call instead of live chat, making live chat an unnecessary step in the resolution process. Recognizing this, WEOKIE chose to direct such interactions straight to a phone call, where members could more quickly and efficiently receive the human assistance they needed
“We’ve tried live chat before, but it didn’t work for us. Many of the queries were too complex to resolve over chat and needed follow-up calls – so we thought, why not streamline the process by directing these members straight to our phone agents. It’s a more efficient and effective strategy to resolve queries.”
One of the reasons AI adoption was so successful at WEOKIE was the active involvement of its leadership team in ensuring a smooth implementation. The executive team proactively supported the transition, reinforcing AI as a strategic move for the credit union. Marketing played a crucial role in shaping a positive narrative around AI too, ensuring members understood and embraced the change. Meanwhile, frontline staff were well-prepared and trained on best practices to help members navigate the new system with confidence.
Through its partnership with interface.ai, WEOKIE Federal Credit Union has
set the benchmark for member services. By replacing their legacy automated
and IVR systems with a cutting-edge Voice AI system, WEOKIE has overcome
critical operational challenges, streamlined support, and enhanced the
member experience.
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