First State Bank - Michigan on LinkedIn: #fsbmichigan #welcometotheteam #eastpointe (2024)

As I mark half a year in the world of banking, I find it's a great time to pause and share some key insights from my journey so far. Here's what these six months at Kensington Bank have taught me:1. People First: Embracing a people-centric approach in a community bank setting has been incredibly fulfilling. Our mission at Kensington Bank is simple - to be a trusted partner in the financial success of our customers one relationship at a time and give back to the communities we serve. This people first mentality is not just a philosophy; it’s our everyday practice.2. The Art of Being Present and Listening: I've realized the immense value of being fully engaged in every interaction. Whether it's a casual chat or a critical meeting, giving undivided attention and actively listening makes a world of difference. It's about showing genuine care and respect, and it's something I strive to practice daily.3. Optimism in Action: Life, especially in banking, throws its share of challenges. My goal has been to maintain an optimistic outlook - a 'glass half full' perspective. By efficiently moving past setbacks and using them as an opportunity for growth, I've found a way to turn potential negatives into positives.Overall - Being part of Kensington Bank's team has been nothing short of amazing. We're a group of individuals deeply committed to going the extra mile for our customers. With new locations opening in Saint Joseph and Sartell, it's exhilarating to be a part of our expanding community footprint. I'm eager to continue contributing towards a smoother, more efficient banking experience for everyone.Here's to more learning, growth, and making a positive impact!#KensingtonCares #BankingCareer #TeamKensington #CommunityBanking #CustomerFirst

56

3 Comments

From the moment a customer walks through our doors, we strive to make them feel valued and appreciated. Our team is dedicated to listening to our customers' needs and concerns, building strong relationships is key to our success. At Dakota Community Bank & Trust, treating our customers with respect and care is not just a priority, it's a core value that guides everything we do. #CustomerExperience #CustomerService #RelationshipBuilding #BankingCommunity #CustomerCare #CommunityBanking #CustomerAppreciation #CustomerRelations #BankingValues

This is a great concept and is much needed in many communities. During previous stages of my career, I’ve run outsourced estate management mandates for two major high street banking networks and been involved in consultancy projects for many of the others.When arriving at a bank branch to undertake a condition survey or rental valuation, the etiquette was that you wait your turn to be seen with everybody else.For this reason, in my time, I’ve stood in many 100s of customer queues in many 100s of bank branches in diverse locations all across the UK. One of the things that I learnt from this was just what an important a part of the local community these retail banks were.I would find local businesses owners with the day’s takings, young people opening their first account, couples buying a house, travellers changing their money, older people managing their pensions and much, much, more.Let's hope that Banking Hubs can fill that gap.#cashaccess #retailbanking #community

6

Did you know……as a banker, you are a customer service representative to everyone especially your family and friends whether that’s your actual role or not. Show of hands if you work in a bank and you have people around you that use that same bank. Show of hands if the minute they have any issue with their account, you’re the first person they come to. Don’t blame them, I mean Yoruba people would say ERI ESE WERE E BU, IGBAWO LEFE TO RI TI OLOGBON. It means that for them, you are their first point of contact with the bank so of course they’ll engage you first for every and any issue.I understand how frustrating and annoying it is when people come to you with their bank issues. I know you want to say ``sis/bruv, I’m not a customer service representative, please go to the bank`` but well most of us are compelled to be nice because we want to represent our bank accordingly and we want to be perceived as we know what we’re doing so we indulge them. As a banker, no matter what your JD is, you are a customer service representative of your bank to anyone anywhere, so you must represent accordingly.For example, If for any reason your bank application is down and a family member or friend comes to you insulting your bank, don’t join them, don’t make them feel like that’s how it usually is even if that’s true. Wear your customer service cap and attend to them like they’re your customer because truthfully, THEY ARE YOUR CUSTOMER. Provide them with a solution and if there’s non at the time, assure them that it would be resolved. Follow up on them and ask questions like… how far, has it worked now? Is there anything else? Everyone loves a great service, at that moment even if their issue wasn’t resolved, the idea of the fact that a representative of the bank which happens to be someone they know personally has their back will put their mind at peace. Customer service is practiced in a way that reflects the strategies and values of a firm so fellow bankers, reflect your bank's strategies and values in your service to everyone and anyone around you. Thank you and have a great week😘😘😘😘

9

Big announcement from Five Star Bank! Check this out!

2

Whether you view your career path as a journey or a destination, at Wells Fargo you can shape a career that aligns with your passion and goals. A meaningful career starts with a conversation. Reach out to Loredana Ambriz or Rich Chapman, AVP to talk about what is uniquely important to you in your career.

12

Dear Metro Bank (UK)Appreciate you’re going through some challenging times right now, but I have a couple of suggestions that might help:1.Don’t make customers wait a week for “Walk-in” appointments. Essentially, this means you have a “Walk Out” service. If I knew that I’d have to come back in after a week, I’d book in a more efficient manner, like using the internet or some such thing.2.Don’t let the first thing you tell your potential customer be that you: “haven’t done any preparation for this meeting as I’ve been off for a few days”. On these occasions, saying nothing would definitely be preferable. (We might not even know that you were supposed to prepare!)3.When a new customer wants to open an account: IF you have to make your new customer wait 10 minutes after time of scheduled appointment (following the week's wait), perhaps acknowledge the slight delay. When the person sat behind a desk on their own for 10 minutes – simply comes over and asks you what you want it can be a tad frustrating. ("I booked an appointment a week ago to open a NEW ACCOUNT!!"). You could also perhaps apologise for the delay (you don’t have to mean it!)4.Smile. At least once. When you’re interrogating your potential customer. It would make them feel like they are welcomed and can look forward to the future relationship!5. Let the customer know you're happy about their general presence!This might prevent new customers walking out after 15 minutes of what was supposed to be a 2 hour meeting. Just saying.Hope this helps! 😘#metrobank #failing

48

24 Comments

The last few weeks I've had a few dozen meetings with Credit Unions. Having worked with CUs for close to 25 years, it's interesting to see the shift they've gone through. Once champions of member service and having used that as the principle way to compete with banks, industry statistics show they've lost that crown. Banks are showing a much higher spend and focus on customer experience and their customer/member attrition is lower and their lifetime value is higher. For example, your average CU replaces its entire member-base every 8 years, which is frankly pretty scary. One of the areas I'm spending time is identifying and targeting solutions to increase member loyalty by reducing negative experiences. These can be as simple as reducing friction in the communications process, or as complex as identifying early warning signs of member dismay and increasing engagement before they run for the hills. We're seeing those CUs that focus on creating a monthly engagement strategy with members have 17% higher profits and 8% lower attrition rates! That's an incredible improvement for just making sure you touch base with your members every 30 days.

7

When wirehouse advisors move to a bank or credit union...-- At the end of year 3, revenue growth is 15.4% higher for the Wirehouse Advisor that moved to a community bank or credit union vs. another wirehouse.-- End of year 4, revenue growth is 23% higher.-- End of year 5, revenue growth is 36.3% higher. Your recruiting strategy should include wirehouse advisors inside your bank / CU footprint. Use this information when having those conversations. If the wirehouse advisor fits culturally, moving to a bank or CU can be very good for them. Compass Consulting has been tracking dozens of data points relating to wealth management inside community banks and credit unions dating back to 2007. The science behind the metrics is incredibly interesting and valuable. We review and analyze literally thousands of data points – the statistics above are from over 700 individuals self-reporting their growth for 5 years. Compass rarely publishes this data and we have never sold it (even though we are often asked). This information, most of which you cannot find anywhere, is how we formulate strategy and advice for our clients. It’s what we hope gives our clients a competitive edge in an extremely competitive environment. To get the exact reference data we used to formulate these metrics, email Hillary Salgado at hillary@compassconsulting.com to schedule a meeting. To learn more about Compass Consulting, please visit our website www.compassconsulting.com, and our brand-new YouTube channel https://lnkd.in/dHaS4sVC.#compassconsulting #compassinsights #wealthmanagement #communitybanking #creditunions #responsibleinvesting

4

3 Comments

This might be one of the more interesting metrics we track!!A well-supported wealth platform attached to a bank or credit union can be very attractive to wirehouse advisors looking for a more collaborative relationship with their employer than what traditional wires offer.This is why the community bank and credit union channel is one of the fastest growing in the industry - more to follow on this soon!!#compassconsulting#compassinsights#wealthmanagement#communitybanking#creditunions#responsibleinvesting

3