The credit union movement’s unique selling propositions are built on a foundation of service and ownership. An improved “member experience” should capitalize on those two building blocks if you want to prove the credit union difference to your various audiences.
Everyone has a different idea of what that service experience looks like. At a recent summit of credit union CEOs, participants were polled: 37% said it was “Anticipating member needs and presenting solutions”; 29% said “Offering multi-channel ways for members to interact with you”; and 20% said “Providing the easiest method of doing business with them. The point is every credit union is unique and needs to develop its own unified vision of the member experience, making sure it aligns with the core mission and values, before diving in.
Fostering a service culture involves three key elements: Leadership that establishes a service culture; Clear and consistent policies and procedures; and Fostering a team environment. For this article, let’s first address a service culture.
Establishing a culture of service in your organization starts with your leadership and must be reinforced throughout the organization from the start. It requires a constant commitment from leadership, and a consistent effort to reinforce the desired behaviors and attitudes throughout the organization. Here are some steps to achieve this:
Lead by example. Leaders model the behaviors and attitudes they want to see in their organization, demonstrating a strong commitment to customer service and consistently acting in the best interest of members. Come out of your offices, answer the phone, respond to the chats, and overall engage members in any way possible. Who doesn’t want to tell their friends, neighbors, and families that they spoke with senior management at the credit union. It makes the members feel special, as well as demonstrates to the team your expectations.
Communicate the importance of service. Communication is key to establishing a culture of service. Leaders clearly communicate the importance of providing excellent customer service, and the role each employee plays in delivering it. Start staff meetings with good news stories of how a member was helped, and their response.
Empower employees. Team members should be free to identify barriers and bottlenecks in the process. Let them make decisions benefiting members and
provide them with the tools and resources they need to deliver outstanding service. Motivate them to improve workflows and operations, toward delivering outstanding member experiences.
Recognize and reward. Recognize and reward employees for providing excellent service and encourage them to continue to strive for excellence. One size doesn’t fit all. Learn what motivates each team member and target your rewards in that direction. It’s not always a monetary reward the team is looking for. Sometimes a public “attaboy” is the right fit. You should even consider applying the same to members. Look at the success of frequent flyer programs in building loyalty.
Encourage feedback. Feedback from employees, and members, will continually improve service delivery and identify areas for improvement. Listen carefully, making sure to avoid the instinct that you already know the problem and the solution. Many great ideas have come from a single unrelated comment.
Invest in training. When times get tight, what’s the first thing getting cut from the budget? A consistent investment in regular training and development programs ensures employees have the skills and knowledge they need to provide outstanding service.
Continuously evaluate and improve. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of service delivery and take steps to continuously improve it, keeping customer needs and expectations at the forefront. Goals and objectives will fail if there is no regular review of the progress, as well as the teams’ efforts to
By taking these steps, you can create a culture of service that is rooted in a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and supported by the behaviors and attitudes of all employees.
(Written by Peter Manfredo, President, Manfredo & Associates, advising credit unions and non-profits since 1982. For more information contact pete@manfredoassociates.com)