Client Overview - Cara Credit Union
Cara Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative based in County Kerry, Ireland. Established in 1968 as Tralee Credit Union and strengthened through a series of mergers, Cara has grown to become the largest community-based credit union in Munster, serving more than 60,000 members.
As Cara’s membership expanded, so too did the need for a more connected, personalised, and scalable approach to member engagement. The Zoom Phone Solution, implemented and managed by Phone Pulse while being fully integrated inside Salesforce, serves as their robust communications backbone. This platform provides the specific functionality required to handle their high volumes of interactions across their network.
The Challenge
Previously, Cara Credit Union relied on a traditional phone system, which limited their flexibility. Their workforce faced challenges in intercepting calls and operating seamlessly from different locations. Within the contact centre, legacy telephony and disconnected systems prevented agents from accessing a complete view of the member, leading to longer call times and a fragmented service experience.
Cara Credit Union faced increasing complexity in delivering consistent, personalised service across its growing member base.
This constraint hindered their ability to provide an enhanced customer experience, impacting their efficiency and potentially missing out on crucial business opportunities.
Cara needed a modern communications platform that could:
- Unify member interactions
- Improve service efficiency
- Support personalised engagement at scale
- Provide a future-proof foundation for growth
Why Cara chose Phone Pulse
Understanding the critical need for a more flexible and efficient communication system, Cara CU sought out a solution that could adapt to their dynamic work environment.
They partnered with Phone Pulse, an industry-defining leader in telecommunications, due to their proven expertise in delivering cloud communications solutions within regulated financial services environments.
With deep experience implementing Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Centre for credit unions, Phone Pulse worked closely with Cara to design a solution tailored to their unique operational model, member service standards, and compliance requirements.
“In Phone Pulse, we found a partner that shares our drive for innovation. Their track record of delivering Zoom Phone integrations specifically tailored for credit unions ensures they understand our unique operational needs and was a decisive factor in our partnership."
The Solution
Phone Pulse implemented Zoom Phone as Cara Credit Union’s core telephony and contact centre platform, replacing legacy systems with a secure, scalable, cloud-based solution.
Zoom was tightly integrated with Salesforce Service Cloud, enabling Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) that brings member information directly into the agent workflow. When a member contacts Cara, agents now receive instant screen pops with full visibility of the member’s profile, interaction history, and previous enquiries.
In parallel, Marketing Cloud Engagement was configured to support more targeted, personalised communications across email and digital channels, ensuring that outreach aligns with member needs and preferences.
This integrated approach provides a single, connected platform for voice, service, and marketing, reducing complexity while improving consistency across all member touchpoints.
Goals of the New System
The primary goals of the new solution were to:
- Enhance the member experience by enabling more personalised, informed, and efficient interactions across phone, branch, and digital channels
- Improve operational efficiency by eliminating disconnected systems and giving agents a single interface for member communications and data
- Empower service teams with modern tools, smarter workflows, and real-time access to a complete 360-degree member view
- Create a scalable foundation capable of supporting future growth, additional channels, and branch rollout
Comments from Cara Credit Union
"The experience of working with Phone Pulse has been very positive. The team at Phone Pulse have been fully engaged with the project, fully engaged with the needs of our members, and willing to go the extra mile to provide the service." - Aidan Healy, IT & Project Officer, Cara Credit Union
"We had an incredible experience dealing with Phone Pulse on this journey. They made us feel really at ease and supported throughout every step of the journey. They were there at any time we had any queries and continue to be so.” - Nichole Comerford, Member Service Centre Manager, Cara Credit Union
The Result
Since going live with the new Zoom powered contact centre, Cara Credit Union has already seen measurable improvements in both member engagement and operational performance.
Stronger member engagement: Communication read rates have increased significantly, indicating greater relevance and stronger connection with Cara’s messaging.
Enhanced operational efficiency: Call centre agents now access a full 360-degree member profile within Salesforce during live calls, removing the need to switch between multiple systems.
Improved service quality: Zoom CTI integration enables faster response times, reduced call handling durations, and more personalised conversations, leading to higher member satisfaction.
Empowered service teams: Agents report increased satisfaction and confidence, supported by streamlined workflows and intuitive Zoom-based call handling.
Unified member view across the organisation: Cara now benefits from a single platform that consolidates member data, interactions, and communication history, supporting more informed decision-making across teams.
Following the implementation, Phone Pulse provided comprehensive after-support and service, ensuring that the system ran smoothly. Phone Pulse gave training sessions to equip the staff with the necessary skills to maximize the benefits of Zoom Phone. Any concerns or issues were promptly addressed, reaffirming the reliability of the system.
Recommendation
Based on the success of this implementation and the positive impact achieved at Cara Credit Union, Zoom Phone has proven to be a highly effective communications platform. Delivered through Phone Pulse, the solution benefits from expert deployment, ongoing management, and a deep understanding of financial services environments.
For organisations seeking to modernise their communications, improve service delivery, and drive operational efficiency, Zoom Phone, implemented and supported by Phone Pulse, is a trusted and proven solution.
