Member experience defines what feelings and emotions members associate with your credit union. This experience is what keeps them happy and loyal to you and what drives them to recommend your credit union to family and friends. Your most important brand advocates are your members, and whether they advocate your credit union or not all depends on what credit union member services they receive and what their personal member experience is with those services. Here are 5 underrated member experience techniques and why you should be using them.
1. Call your members by name. Personalizing the credit union member experience allows members to interact with you on a trusted and comfortable level. Everyone loves hearing their own name, and using a member’s name lets them know that your credit union doesn’t think of them just as a number, but a person who deserves the best. Use this technique when speaking in person, but also when contacting via email or phone.
2. Seamless lending. Whether in branch or via mobile, credit union lending should be seamless, paperless and effortless for members. Offering members electronic signatures is the convenience they want and expect in this day and age, and something they can easily get from other banking institutions.
3. Display it how they want it. Mobile banking apps should be customizable to the member. Allow members to name their accounts and switch the layout of their accounts - whether they want to view it in a visual grid format or linear line items. Again, allowing members to personalize their experience creates a positive association between them and your credit union, and this extends to the tools they use to interact with you when not in a branch.
4. Product information. Inform your members of products they aren’t using and how using said products will benefit them. Make sure your approach has the member in mind and establish yourself as a thought leader with valuable content that is actually useful to your members. MSRs should have a 360-degree view of accounts and easy access to cross-selling tools directly within member accounts to make this process the most effective.
5. Ask for Feedback. Everyone wants to be heard, especially members when they're trusting you with their most important assets. Collect feedback from members on multiple touch points to let them know you’re listening and you care about their experience. Once you receive the feedback make sure you’re utilizing it properly and making changes when necessary.
These 5 underrated techniques may be the simple key to enhancing this all-important experience and attracting new members in the future. Create a member experience that makes it easy for members to become brand advocates.
