How First Resource Bank Elevated Customer Experience with Microsoft Teams and Altigen’s CoreEngage
Customer expectations in banking have changed dramatically. Today’s customers expect immediate, personalized service without sacrificing a human connection. First Resource Bank, a community bank serving the Pennsylvania Delaware Valley, has successfully struck that balance by combining a strong internal culture with modern communication technology.
In a recent interview, Brian Jackson, Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer at First Resource Bank, shared how the organization transformed its communications environment to improve the banking customer experience for both employees and customers.
A Culture That Drives Customer Success
Founded in 2005, First Resource Bank has always prioritized relationship banking and community engagement. That commitment extends beyond customers; it starts with employees.
The bank has been named a Best Place to Work by the Philadelphia Business Journal for eight consecutive years, a reflection of its employee-first philosophy.
“We try to put people in positions to win and grow in their career but also offer great benefits as well,” said Jackson.
“If you have genuinely happy employees, it shapes the customer experience. When people feel supported, they’re inspired to go above and beyond for our customers and the bank.”
This focus on culture directly impacts customer service. Employees who feel supported are better equipped to deliver an exceptional banking customer experience.
The Challenge: Modernizing Communication Without Losing the Human Touch
Like many organizations, First Resource Bank had been using a hosted PBX system for voice communications. While functional, it no longer aligned with the bank’s broader contact center modernization goals.
At the same time, the bank’s growth and mobile workforce created new demands:
- Employees needed the ability to work from anywhere
- Relationship bankers and business development officers were frequently on the move
- Customer service needed to remain personal, not automated and impersonal
- Leadership wanted better insights into customer interactions
The key question became: How do we modernize communication without compromising the personal service our customers value?
The Shift to Microsoft Teams Phone
The bank had already adopted Microsoft 365 and was using Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration when Covid-19 struck. When the pandemic accelerated remote work, Teams proved invaluable, allowing employees to transition seamlessly.
When the hosted phone system agreement came up for renewal, it sparked a bigger idea, what if Teams could become the bank’s central communication hub?
“What if we could have everything we need in Teams?” Jackson recalled thinking.
“Being able to make and receive calls from anywhere is just kind of perfect.”
By moving to Microsoft Teams Phone, First Resource Bank unified collaboration and calling into a single platform. Because employees were already familiar with Teams, the transition was smooth:
“The people that were a little concerned about it felt, wow, like that was really nothing. It was very easy.”
Enhancing Customer Engagement with Altigen’s CoreEngage Contact Center
While Teams Phone solved internal communication challenges, the bank still needed a better way to manage customer interactions efficiently—without losing its hallmark personal service.
That’s where Altigen’s CoreEngage came in.
CoreEngage is a native Microsoft Teams contact center solution that transforms Teams into an AI-enabled customer engagement platform with omnichannel capabilities. For First Resource Bank, it provided the missing piece: intelligent tools layered directly into their existing Teams environment.
“Customers love us because when they call we actually answer the phone,” Jackson explained.
“We thought, ‘How do we manage this more efficiently, without automating away the human element of our customer service?’”
Key Benefits Realized
After implementing CoreEngage, the bank gained several critical capabilities:
1. Value from Microsoft 365 Investment
Enabling Teams Phone and the native Teams-based CoreEngage contact center was a cost-effective and secure way to leverage the investment in Microsoft 365.
2. Work-from-Anywhere Flexibility
Employees can now handle customer calls from any location without being tied to a desk phone.
3. Actionable Analytics
The bank can analyze call patterns and trends to improve service delivery and training.
- Identify high-volume call types
- Improve response strategies
- Train staff more effectively
4. Greater Operational Control
With their previous system, even small changes required submitting tickets and incurring additional costs.
Now, the team can manage configurations themselves quickly and efficiently.
5. AI-Powered Insights
CoreEngage enables:
- Automatic call recording
- Transcription and summarization
- Intelligent call categorization
Jackson emphasized a pragmatic approach to AI:
“I’m all for using AI where it makes sense. AI is one of the tools helping us work more efficiently.”
Seamless Deployment and Strong Partnership
Technology alone doesn’t guarantee success, implementation and support matter just as much.
First Resource Bank’s deployment of CoreEngage was smooth, supported by Altigen’s onboarding and training resources.
“The help and training Altigen provided us was awesome. It’s clear that the team cares and takes ownership of what they’re working on.
The bank continues to expand its use of the platform, leveraging features like Power BI reporting to gain deeper insights.
“We’re getting great feedback from our staff… It’s working out really, really well.”
The Result: Modern Technology, Human-Centered Service
First Resource Bank demonstrates that digital transformation doesn’t have to come at the expense of personal connection.
By combining:
- A strong employee-first culture
- Microsoft Teams as a unified communication platform
- Altigen’s CoreEngage Contact Center for advanced customer engagement,
the bank has created a modern, scalable communication infrastructure that enhances rather than replaces human interaction.
“If you have an issue and you pick up the phone and call us, you’re actually going to talk to someone… It’s about relationships and customer service.”
Final Thoughts
As financial institutions navigate the evolving landscape of customer expectations, First Resource Bank offers a compelling blueprint:
- Start with culture
- Choose technology that aligns with your values
- Use AI and analytics to enhance rather than replace human service
With the right strategy and tools, organizations can deliver the best of both worlds: efficiency at scale and meaningful customer relationships.
Learn more about how Altigen’s CoreEngage can transform your Microsoft Teams environment into an intelligent contact center at altigen.com.
