Business View Magazine | January 2021

260 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JANUARY 2021 WORKERS CREDI T UNION More than 105,000 members do business at 16 branches of Workers Credit Union throughout north-central Massachusetts. Two of those branches were opened in 2020 with two more planned in 2021. And while members love the call center and digital solutions, like opening an account in five minutes online or paying their loan via mobile, branches are still a key part of Workers’ overall retail strategy as they expand their footprint with a new federal charter. During the pandemic, the credit union’s members easily adapted to the new normal. As Petersen attests, “All our branches have drive- ups and many have Video Teller ATMs. And though our call center had three to five times the normal volume, we were able to meet our members’ needs in a responsive way doing the best we could and adding extra resources.” Workers also has an online system for members to schedule an in-branch appointment. Before the appointment date an employee will reach out to see if they can help over the phone. Many times, they can save the member a trip and eliminate the risk of exposure altogether. In 2020, they began rolling out a new branch strategy, focusing on partnering with members