When someone does you wrong, it takes time to rebuild confidence in that relationship. Big banks are fighting hard to recover from sins of the past (like Wells Fargo and their new account debacle). Their recent commercials persuade the viewer to believe they deeply care, but let's not forget one of the main differentiators between banks and Credit Unions... Trust. Trust is earned from being trustworthy over a long period of time and can be built up not only through your credit union member services but in all aspects of your business. Emphasizing areas where members can see your CU is trustworthy will reinforce why they are with your credit union, not a big bank. Here are 5 ways to demonstrate trust with your members:

Calling all Star Wars fanatics. With the Last Jedi being released December 2017, you no doubt have wondered if this next installment will finally shed some light on the prophecy of the chosen one, the one who is (or was) to bring balance to the force. "A prophecy that, misread, could have been." While we still have yet to know if Vader was the chosen one, or if the one has yet to be revealed, we do know one thing for certain. In order for the galaxy to find peace, there must be balance, in this case, between good and evil. The same can be said for the success of your credit union and finding balance between operational efficiency and quality member service.

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.

Do you aspire to own a vacation home... or to own a second mortgage? Was your dream in life to drive a red sports car... or to have a low-interest car loan? Too many credit unions focus marketing dollars on discussing the features and product details of their credit union member services, rather than focusing on the benefits these features will provide. Yet, members aren't looking for a skip-a-payment option, they are looking for the ability to take a summer vacation. Members will act on emotion, not logic. Your credit union can paint an emotional picture for members that speaks of the hopes, dreams and financial freedom. If done correctly, this will lead them directly to your products and services that will help them live their dreams. Consider these ideas in your next marketing campaign:

The key to success in providing exceptional member services is the anticipation of their needs. Realizing what services will improve their financial lives before they do. Thanks to advancements in credit union core technology, you do not need to be a data scientist in order to do so. The visual data is there to assess and assist your members. Your credit union software should allow MSRs a 360° view of members so they can easily offer credit union member services that exceed expectations.

If your credit union member services don't include mobile, you're not relevant. We live in a world on-the-go and if you want to grow your credit union, you need to provide on-the-go options for your members. This means your member-facing technology needs to be simple, functional and mobile-friendly. Now, Want to know the names of the actors you need to be a hit?

The TV show MythBusters explores, tests, and ultimately confirms or debunks myths and urban legends. Thanks to the successful comedic duo on the show, myths such as "all men prefer blondes" and "it's easy to take candy from a baby" have been debunked. While having confirmation that a person's tongue will stick to a frozen metal pole is important, we thought we would explore a topic more useful to our readers - 3 credit union myths, and determine if they are "confirmed," "plausible," or "busted."

Member Service Representatives are not only the face of your credit union, but they are the lifeline to smooth front-end operations. If your CU is trying to evolve and grow, then it's imperative to consider ways to increase the productivity of your employees, without wearing them out with more responsibility than they can handle. Here are 5 ideas you can implement at your CU to make your MSR's more productive in their daily work:

Your credit union has decided to dedicate some resources to improving your social media presence. By now, you most likely have the basics:  A Facebook page, perhaps even a twitter account. You post once or twice a week, maybe even less depending on how busy you are with other daily activities. Most small and medium-sized credit unions don't have the deep pockets to warrant a fully-staffed marketing department, so the task of updating your pages is in the hands of your executive team or more likely the youngest/hippest employee on your payroll.

Making your members feel valued is one of the intangible ways to retain current members and attract new ones. When members feel important, their loyalty grows. In business, it is a proven fact that keeping a customer costs less than trying to acquire a new one, and the same is true for credit unions. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring that your credit union member services are making your members feel valued: