Largest State-Chartered CU in Massachusetts Embraces Conversational AI to Power Growth and Consistency

About Metro Credit Union

Since 1926, Metro Credit Union has been committed to helping its members achieve their dreams. With $3.4 billion in assets, 210,000 members, and a team of 315 employees across 18 branches, Metro is the largest state-chartered credit union in Massachusetts. Headquartered in Chelsea, Metro combines its strong legacy with forward-thinking innovation to meet the evolving needs of its community.

The Vision: Business Goals First, Then AI

Metro CU’s approach to AI is rooted in strategy, not technology for technology’s sake. “We don’t have an AI strategy, we have a business strategy,” Traci Michel, Chief Operating Officer, Metro CU, emphasizes. That strategy includes four core goals: elevate member service, improve employee experience, increase operational efficiency, and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Rather than leading with tools, Metro identifies business challenges and then finds AI solutions to address them. “The way we approach AI is to define our business problems first, and look for ways AI can help with the solutions.”

Starting with Simplicity: Digital Assistant as a Bridge

The pandemic catalyzed a digital shift across the financial industry. For Metro, the challenge was clear: how do we maintain personal member connections in a digital-first world?

That’s where the journey with Posh began.

Metro implemented Posh’s digital assistant to help scale conversations and connect members to employees when in-person interactions weren’t possible. “It was the perfect way to leverage AI in a straightforward, easy way,” Traci said. “And it solved a real business problem.”

Growing with Voice and Knowledge AI

As member adoption of AI grew, so did Metro’s vision. They launched their voice assistant, Chelsea, as a first step, initially without banking functionality. It was a low-risk, high-reward way to build internal comfort with AI and prove its value.

By 2024, Metro had rolled out the Knowledge Assistant, starting with a pilot of employees well-versed in the organization’s knowledge base. What they discovered was eye-opening: their procedures needed improvement. That feedback loop led to the full rollout of “Ask Marvin,” their internal knowledge assistant now used by 125 retail employees. Daily feedback from Ask Marvin users ensures that Metro’s knowledge stays fresh and reliable, empowering frontline teams and transforming how knowledge is maintained.

Elevating Member Experience Across Channels

With solid foundations in place, Metro advanced to more sophisticated deployments. Their voice assistant, Chelsea, is now fully integrated with core banking functions, enabling members to complete transactions seamlessly over the phone. The impact was immediate—in the first month live with voice IVR, Metro saw nearly double the volume of banking interactions compared to their legacy keypad IVR, demonstrating strong member adoption and the value of a more conversational experience.

They’ve also adopted Posh Answers on their website, bringing consistency across digital and human-assisted channels.

“Before Posh Answers, we had traditional semantic search, it was hard to get the right answer,” Traci shared. “Sometimes our digital assistant would have a different answer than what an agent might say. Now, with Posh Answers and a knowledge-centered approach, we’re able to update once and have that change flow across all our channels.”

This approach solves a critical challenge: consistent communication across web, chat, and voice, all from a single source of truth.

The Impact: Smarter Conversations, Better Service

• Metro is routing over 60,000 calls/month through Chelsea, with ~50% containment.
  
  • Top call topic: Banking transactions
  • The remaining 50% of calls are routed by design to the correct department via intelligent routing.
• Posh Answers handles ~2,000 questions/month with a 97% answer success rate.
  
  • Top chat topics: “Pay My Loan” and “Rates.”
    
    • To streamline the experience and drive action, Metro implemented custom calls-to-action (CTAs) for these high-intent queries. When a member asks to pay their loan, the assistant initiates a digital auto pay workflow; when they inquire about rates, they’re guided into an account opening workflow. These targeted flows ensure members not only get answers—they’re efficiently moved into meaningful next steps.
• “Ask Marvin,” Metro’s Knowledge Assistant, has seen 1,500+ knowledge searches with a 96% answer success rate.

“We’ve made changes to products and services based on what we’ve learned from our member conversations,” Metro’s team explained. “It’s no longer a black hole—we have the knowledge and can act on it.”

This shift is powered by full visibility into every conversation transcript across web chat, voice, knowledge assistants (KA), and Posh Answers. With a comprehensive view of member interactions, Metro can surface trends, identify pain points, and confidently make data-driven decisions that improve the member experience.

A Trusted Conversational AI Partner

With Posh as their dedicated conversational AI partner, Metro is able to maintain one unified experience across all channels. “We have different partners in different AI areas,” they said, “but Posh is our one partner for everything conversational. And thankfully so, because it means updates happen in one place and flow everywhere.”

The Posh portal, analytics, and conversation insights have become core to Metro’s strategy. “We can change products, services, and experiences based on what we learn. Having one provider pull it all together is incredibly insightful.”

Advice for Others: Start Small, Start Now

Reflecting on their four-year journey, Metro’s advice to other financial institutions is clear:

“The risk of not moving is greater than the risk of doing something. Pick a use case you can solve in 6–12 months. Don’t try to do it all at once. Learn through it. Start small and build from there.”

By taking incremental steps, Metro has built the foundation to scale. They’ve grown member trust, empowered employees, and are now poised to lead through the next wave of AI maturity.

“We embrace change,” Michel says. “These tools help us ride the wave.” 

Looking Ahead

Metro Credit Union’s journey with Posh reflects what’s possible when a financial institution aligns AI with real business strategy. With a strong foundation, cross-channel consistency, and a trusted partner in Posh, Metro is not just keeping up with innovation, they’re leading it.

If you're ready to explore how conversational AI can elevate your member experience, streamline operations, and unlock new growth opportunities, Posh can help. Schedule a demo or visit posh.ai to learn how our platform can power your AI journey, just like it has for Metro.