Front-line Staff Key to Driving Positive Credit Union Member Experience

Chris Steffes, Remote Services Consultant, CU Solutions Group

The experience you offer members – within branch, online, and mobile - can either build loyalty or shatter it. For credit unions, high quality member experiences start with your front-line staff. But according to Gallup’s 2013 study, “State of the American Workplace,” 70% of employees are not engaged at work. So the question is, if employees aren’t engaged at the teller line, call center or the chat room, how can you expect to achieve high member satisfaction?

Successful credit unions understand that when employees feel valued for their knowledge and experience, members benefit. The fastest path to providing a great member experience starts with developing and rewarding your front-line team. Here’s three easy steps to get started:

• Create. First, enlist your front-line staff to design a member experience program by asking, “How do we want our members to feel when they interact with us?” Encourage your team’s creative side to shape their ideal vision of an extraordinary member experience, from conversations to follow up actions, taking cues from the hospitality industry. Ideas can be as simple as sending an alternative “thank you” to a heavy mobile user after account opening, such as a quick video using your smartphone. Or, promote a quality lending experience by offering a phone charging station at the loan officer’s desk for members to use while discussing loan options. Your plans don’t have to be costly to make a difference, but they should be original. Be ready to try something new and different to please members.

• Practice. Got an extra 15 minutes before you open the doors? Plan weekly practice sessions for staff to hone their communication skills with one another. Weekly role play of member greetings, rapport-building, listening and showing empathy will reinforce your plan to achieve high quality interactions and grow staff confidence. Also, you can quality control staff performance and provide quick, positive coaching. 

• Reward. Your member experience program is not a one-time event, but requires ongoing coaching and staff development. Reinforce individual success with rewards and opportunities, like representing the credit union at a community event. 

Every worker wants to be part of something great. By creating an environment where your team members feel valued and empowered, your staff will project their energy and enthusiasm within their work, and outwardly reflect your credit union’s values, brand, and success to your member community.

If your credit union needs a hand with staff or management training, CU Solutions Group can help. 

Enhancing the Credit Union Staff Experience

No matter how cutting edge your website is or how clever your last marketing campaign was - none of that matters if your staff isn't aware of your credit union’s change of focus or if they haven’t bought into it. After all, they’re the face and voice of your credit union – its mission needs to be their mission as well. Only a well-trained staff can help you create a great member experience at your credit union.

Once your credit union has an updated plan in place – complete with goals and tactics – it’s time to get your staff up to speed. Here are four steps to get you all on the same page:

• Set Training Goals and Objectives – Goals and objectives need to be clearly defined and measurable, as well as communicated clearly to your staff.
• Analyze Training Options – Training can be done internally or you can look for outside expertise to guide you. Determine your training needs and budget before choosing which way to go.
• Design and Develop – If your credit union is going to implement its own training, then effective tools will need to be developed. Look to the management experts in your credit union to guide you. Training materials could include a trainer’s outline and guide, student materials, visual aids and media resources. To keep the staff’s interest, keep it fun and interactive. 
• Evaluate Training and Trainers – Once you've wrapped up your training, whether it was internal or external, you need to measure the results to ensure your goals were met. This could be participant feedback using a survey. Update the materials and actual training based on your results.

If your training includes your lending department, it might be worth your credit union’s while to check out CUNA Mutual Group’s Lender Development Program (LDP). The program is designed to “supercharge” your team and product portfolio’s performance. CUNA Mutual Group based the program on the four cornerstones of success: champion, coach, train and track. They used the best practices of high-achieving credit unions to create the program.

Whichever approach you take to help create a great member experience at your credit union, your members should know the credit union mission is the basis for all you do. And if you keep your member’s needs, interests and goals in mind throughout the process, you’ll end up with members that will be members for life.