CFH managed service solution helps provide the credit union with a secure alternative to sending member communications to 25,000 members.
Capital Credit Union was established in 1989 and is one of the largest credit unions in the UK, with almost 25,000 members, and assets of £45 million. The company help its members save money, by offering a range of ethical financial services, including loans, debt advice and general financial support.
The Credit Union utilises a range of media channels in order to keep its current members informed and encourage new ones to join its services. Some of the methods used to do this include social media, online and print advertising, their website and print marketing.
They rely on print marketing to send particular types of communications. From annual statements in April to those with certain ISA accounts and annual October statements of information of members' accounts, to yearly newsletters and ad-hoc communications.
Having almost 25,000 members means that often different communications are required to be sent at varied times to reach the full range of members - each member must be communicated with in the correct way at the correct time.
There is also the added pressure that as opposed to most businesses who have ‘customers’, Capital Credit Union have members who require continuous contact and a high level of customer service in order for them to be retained. To do this, they need a reliable supplier for all of their printed communications.
Previously they used CFH’s print capabilities through a third-party supplier but in 2018 the print aspect of this business was removed, and Capital Credit was introduced directly to CFH.
The Credit Union were really happy with the work provided by CFH by that point so to continue this relationship directly made sense to them. Capital Credit Union and CFH have now worked together to deliver the Credit Union printed communications for over 4 years.
When the Credit Union are ready to send a printed communication, they simply email the requirements to CFH who arranges for this to be printed. CFH then produce the output and, depending on what the documents are, they are either dispatched from CFH to the delivery company or sent back to the credit union, which are then collected by Royal Mail to be delivered.
The mailings are sent DSA through Whistl Business Mailmark or Premiersort depending on the type of mailing, quantities and delivery time scale. The process is seamless from both sides. The client confirmed that they feel continually supported by CFH and that the service is “really good”. The CFH team are always very fast to reply to emails and are always really helpful.
One example of a printed communication the Credit Union requested was an ad-hoc flyer campaign that they sent at the start of 2022 in order to increase brand awareness. The mailing consisted of 20,000 A5, double-sided flyers being printed.
To date, CFH has printed over 150,000 packs of statement communications on behalf of Capital Credit Union.
Over the years, Capital Credit Union have seen many benefits of working with CFH.
High quality paper stock and ink - This standard of print reflects the high standard of their business and has positively impacted engagement.
Time sensitive and accurate delivery - Many of the communications Capital Credit Union send are a legal requirement, such as the annual account statements. These documents must be delivered within a certain time range; the Credit Union have legal deadlines to meet and these cannot be moved. The fact that CFH have quick turnaround times and understand the sensitivity of the deadlines is of huge benefit to the Credit Union because it gives them piece of mind that their statements will be delivered on time and that these legal requirements will always be met.
Dedicated support team - CFH are also always on hand to resolve any problems quickly and effectively when it comes to each mailing. When it came to the brand awareness flyer, the Credit Union realised last-minute that they required some extra boxes in order to arrange the flyers before they were collected by Royal Mail. They called CFH who were able to arrange some flat-pack boxes to be delivered next day to the Credit Union so that the flyers would be ready to hand over to Royal Mail the following day. This resolved a potential problem and ensured that delivery of the flyers was on time. The client commented that it was “a really helpful and speedy service received by CFH, as it always is”.
Streamlined processes save time and money - The number one benefit that the client highlighted was the fact that using CFH saves valuable time for the business. The efficient processes, from chatting via email to the documents being executed mean that the company are able to do more with the time they have. They can rely on CFH to deliver their communications quickly, effectively and to a high standard. This is hugely important, especially in the finance sector, because doing more in less time is crucial for generating revenue.
Capital Credit Union said he would recommend CFH to other companies and when asked to sum the company up in one phrase said they are “efficient, helpful, problem solvers”.
We’ve worked with CFH for a number of years and couldn’t be happier. Every print task, whether that’s door-to-door flyers, account statements, or envelope redesigns, was handled very quickly and to a high standard by their team.
Having a dedicated Account Manager meant we could resolve issues easily which helped increase the productivity of our business.
Digital Marketing Specialist,
Capital Credit Union
