Warsaw Connects with New Hosted VoIP Phone System and Dedicated Fiber Circuit
(As published in the Summer issue of Lead Magazine. See the PDF here.)
A faulty phone system’s distortion, busy signals and dropped calls made things difficult for Warsaw banking customers when they called their customer service representative.
“You can imagine the frustration of not being able to hear your bank tell you information about your account,” says Andrew Rees, chief financial officer of Warsaw Federal. “We knew this was an issue that we needed to fix quickly.”
Warsaw Federal was referred to Advanced Technology Consulting (ATC).
“When (a member) of our board of trustees, Rick Flynn, recommended them, we took that as a strong indicator of quality,” says Rees. “In addition to meeting with them, the recommendation from a trusted colleague really gave me the comfort I needed to go ahead and go with ATC.”
Flynn was speaking from experience since ATC recently implemented voice and data services for Flynn’s company, Flynn & Company, a leading full-service certified public accounting and management consulting firm.
And ATC delivered.
“After meeting with Warsaw and talking to them about their frustrations with their current phone system and really diving in and looking at their expectations, we were able to look at some great options to find the one that was best suited for them,” says ATC senior consultant Nick Enger. “We went with a Voice over IP (VoIP) hosted solution provided by Cincinnati Bell Business.”Instead of using normal phone lines, VoIP technology hosts calls over high-speed networks that are used for connecting to the internet.
Instead of using normal phone lines, VoIP technology hosts calls over high-speed networks that are used for connecting to the internet.
“We designed a system that would ensure when a customer calls them, that customer would never hear a busy signal, or not get a live person,” says Enger. “This is key for a modern banking system.”
ATC researched, designed and implemented the new system in the tight timeline that Warsaw required.
“Actually, they over-delivered,” says Rees. “It was much quicker than we expected. Warsaw Federal has been in business for 123 years and our motto is ‘At your service and on your side.’ The root of everything we do is best serving our customers every day. We know our customers by name when they walk in the door and know each of our customers needs.
“With customer service as one of our strong points, it was obviously vital to have a reliable phone connection where those customers could reach us.”
In addition to greatly improving phone services, Warsaw also received other benefits.
“It’s great to have big bank tech and still know each of our customers personally.”
* Andrew Rees, Warsaw Federal Chief Financial Officer
“When we improved their phone system, we also improved the network that they use to communicate between branches,” says Enger. “The high-speed, dedicated fiber connections were able to create a network that keeps banking information private, safe and secure between Warsaw offices. We also made sure the right precautions were in place to keep everything running even during power outages and natural disasters.
“They now have this sophisticated system, with increased bandwidth and network reliability, for the same price they were paying for their old system.”
With branches in Price Hill and Sayler Park and loan offices in Symmes Township and Columbus, Warsaw Federal welcomed the secure communication.
Community Bank with Big Bank Functionalities
“We have internet banking options and mobile apps just like big banks, but we have a customer service feel like a small town bank,” says Rees. “It’s great to have big bank tech and still know each of our customers personally.”
As an organization that prides itself on customer service, Rees says Warsaw was impressed with the ser-vice they received from ATC.
“We never felt alone,” says Rees. “ATC really held our hand and always communicated ahead of time about what was going on and what was going to happen. Without question, their customer support is very strong.”
In addition to the 24/7 customer service provided by Cincinnati Bell Business, Warsaw Federal receives the added layer of IT and telecommunications support from ATC.
“When it comes to looking for a company to partner with, always hire an expert,” says Rees. “You can’t be an expert in everything, and you need to find the people out there that are working in that field every day. It will really give you better outcomes than trying to become experts yourself. ATC was exactly the expert we needed.”
Warsaw Federal has seen significant growth in its loan offices and was ranked the 19th largest loan originator in Cincinnati in 2015. Warsaw Federal is heavily involved in the community sponsoring the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and the Warsaw Federal Skate Park in Lower Price Hill. Warsaw Federal won the 2016 Price Hill Will “Top of the Hill Award” for Community Partner.
“We want our customers to have all of the products and services they need and understand that we know who they are,” Rees says.
***
Warsaw Federal is located at 3533 War-saw Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45205. For more information, call 513.244.6900 or visit www.warsawfederal.com.
Flynn & Company is located at 7800 E. Kemper Rd, #150, Cincinnati, OH 45249. For more information, call 513.530.9200 or visit www.flynncocpa.com.
