Financial Disputes from 90 days to Minutes

As Director of User Experience, I led a team tasked with reimagining the dispute resolution process for the US’s largest credit union. This initiative would become the cornerstone project for their new Digital Labs organization, an experimental arm designed to accelerate its digital transformation with an increased emphasis on speed, security, and member impact.

"Your dispute could take three months to resolve."

I've watched members' faces get upset at these words. For some people living paycheck-to-paycheck, accounting for a temporary credit for two months might as well be an eternity.

What if we could transform this bureaucratic process into an empowering digital experience?

The Reality Check

Picture this. A single mother discovers unauthorized charges on her account. She files a dispute and receives a temporary provisional credit. Her life continues, bills get paid, groceries bought. Then 90 days later, without warning, that credit disappears. The dispute was denied in a letter filled with confusing legal terms.

We saw this scenario play out hundreds of times. The human cost was immense.

  • Members watch provisional credits vanish after 90 days, triggering a cascade of overdraft fees and impossible choices between groceries or rent.

  • Branch staff were forced to respond with “I don't know" to desperate questions.

  • Back-office teams are overwhelmed with manual processes.

  • With every confusing letter sent, trust eroded.

Peeling Back the Layers

When solving complex problems, visible issues often obscure deeper challenges. Our deep-dive revealed a complex array of problems, the biggest of all everyone speaks different languages about the same issues.

Members

No visibility into disputes or understanding their impact.

Front Office

Passing along complaints due to lack of information

Back Office

Spending days on tasks
that could automate

Leadership

Managing competing priorities across separate departments

The Solution That Demonstrates What Counts

Giving Members Control When It Matters

Consider your finances and what you desire when something goes wrong. We delivered what members needed.

We delivered what members needed

  • File disputes via mobile or online banking (no branch visits or phone calls)

  • Track case status in real-time (goodbye anxiety-filled waiting)

  • Understand provisional credits in simple terms (no more legal jargon)

  • Know what's happening and what's next. Transparency fosters trust.

The Hidden Power of Automation

While members saw simplicity, we built robust systems behind the scenes.

  • AI systems detected patterns that humans missed.

  • Automated systems handled standard cases.

  • Smart routing directed complex disputes to the appropriate teams.

  • Built-in compliance protection ensured everyone’s safety.

Leading Through the Maze

Leading strategy and research as the UX Director meant more than just designing interfaces. Have you ever tried getting legal, IT, operations, and branch leaders to agree? I have. Getting alignment feels like herding cats while juggling chainsaws. Here's what worked.

Breaking Down Barriers for Our Team

Remember the frustration of not being able to assist someone in need?

We built a system that equipped our team with the necessary tools.

  • A dashboard that connects all employees.

  • Simple action steps for complicated disputes.

  • Ready-to-use compliant communication templates

  • Instant updates throughout the process.

Start with the human narrative.

  • Show genuine impacts on members.

  • Share employee frustrations.

  • Make the pain personal.

The Numbers That Matter

Want to know if you're making a real difference? Watch these metrics shift.

Our results tell the story.

30%

 of disputes resolve without intervention.

$400K

saved each year.

Industry Award

Visa Excellence in Innovation.

But the human impact is more significant.

Members

Get answers quickly, not after a long wait

Front Office

Proud to help instead of apologizing

Back Office

Handle complex cases needing personal attention

Leadership

Communicating with
each other

The Real Lessons

I learned three essential truths.

1. Technology isn't the solution

It's the enabler. For simplicity, make it invisible. For oversight, make it visible.

2. Change happens in the trenches

One conversation, one process, one success.

3. Lead with empathy and support with data

Start with human needs. Validate with evidence. Scale with technology.

This project's success catalyzed the formation of the Digital Labs organization, where we now consistently apply these principles to transform other critical business challenges.

Want to transform financial services? Stop discussing transformation.

Start fixing what's broken one step at a time.

Related Work

Transforming Fifth Third's Business Banking Experience

As Senior User Experience Designer at Fifth Third Bank, I saw an opportunity to fundamentally reshape business banking by balancing flexibility with value. Through rigorous ethnographic research and strategic design, we proved that thoughtfully constrained choices unlock better outcomes for both bankers and customers. Our human-centered approach reduced compliance risk by millions while opening up new possibilities for how business banking technology can work. This case study shows how rethinking "flexibility" in financial systems sparked transformation in both customer experience and business results.

Let's Build What Comes Next.

If you're facing a complex business challenge or want to transform your customer experience from a cost center into a competitive advantage, I can help. Let's start a conversation.