Dover Federal Credit Union Tackles Call Volume Surge with Voice AI

The challenge

During the pandemic, Dover Federal Credit Union (DFCU) saw call volumes more than double, overwhelming their contact center. Wait times and abandonment rates, once well below industry benchmarks, began to rise sharply. Traditional solutions like hiring or outsourcing were deemed unsustainable for the long term.

The outcome

DFCU implemented interface.ai’s Voice AI Agent to intelligently handle member inquiries. This reduced call center strain, eliminated wait times, and significantly improved member experience. The AI solution also delivered long-term cost savings and 24/7 support capabilities.

The key results

$1.5m
operational cost savings
2430+
hours of member wait time saved
40%+
call automation on day 1

About Dover Federal Credit Union

Dover Federal Credit Union (DFCU), has been the winner of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce President’s Award for Excellence. Dover FCU, with over $641M in assets, has evolved as a member-owned financial cooperative since 1958 and is currently providing its financial services to over 44,000 members.

The challenge

Dover Federal Credit Union (DFCU) has long been focused on delivering exceptional, seamless service to its members. But when the pandemic hit, member interaction patterns shifted dramatically, causing call volumes to more than double.

This sudden spike overwhelmed their call center. A team that had consistently maintained wait times under 2 minutes and call abandonment rates below 5% began to see both metrics climb sharply, impacting member satisfaction and operational efficiency.

DFCU knew that hiring more agents, outsourcing, or adding an overflow call center would only offer short-term relief. They needed a scalable, long-term solution to manage increasing call volumes, reduce pressure on staff, and ensure high service levels across every interaction.

Tyler Kuhn
Ex - VP Marketing & Digital Experience, Dover Federal Credit Union

The solution

To find the right AI partner and launch an AI-powered Voice Agent, Dover Federal Credit Union (DFCU) undertook a comprehensive vendor evaluation process. Their goal was to identify a solution purpose-built for credit unions – one that could deliver long-term value, support seamless integrations, and elevate the member experience.

DFCU explored vendors by:

Speaking directly with stakeholders from other credit unions who had implemented AI to learn from their experiences.
Attending credit union industry tradeshows to see vendors in action and assess solution maturity.
Reviewing solutions with proven integrations to their core banking platform and contact center systems.
Seeking vendors with deep domain knowledge, industry focus, and a history of successful implementations within credit unions.

This rigorous and credit union-specific approach ultimately led DFCU to select interface.ai as the partner best aligned with their strategic goals and commitment to delivering exceptional member service through AI.

The results

The launch of Dover Federal Credit Union’s Voice AI Agent, ‘Beau’, delivered immediate and transformative results across member experience, operational efficiency, and cost optimization.

On day one, Beau successfully automated over 40% of incoming calls, significantly easing pressure on the contact center and freeing up staff to focus on more complex, high-value member interactions.

Travis Frey
Chief Technology & Security Officer, Dover Federal Credit Union

Over time, the impact only grew:

2,430+ hours of member wait time eliminated, dramatically reducing hold times and call abandonment rates
$1.5 million in operational cost savings, driven by automation, reduced staffing strain, and increased efficiency
Higher member satisfaction, fueled by 24/7 availability, instant service, and consistent support experiences.