SPRINGFIELD, Va. — When the $1 billion Andrews Federal Credit Union started designing its newest location, President/CEO Jim Hayes said the cooperative wanted a building that went beyond the traditional branch.
The Suitland, Md.-based credit union unveiled its high-tech branch Friday in the D.C. metropolitan area. (Click photos to enlarge images)
Andrews said it is currently the only financial institution in the Springfield Town Center, formerly known as the Springfield Mall, that re-opened for business Friday after the completion of a $250 million renovation project.
Hayes told CU Times Andrews has more than 6,000 members with Virginia addresses.
"For us, it's about introducing Andrews to Northern Virginia, the Springfield community and Fairfax community and when we opened this branch, what we really wanted to bring was a different experience for our members," Hayes said at the branch's grand opening.
The branch offers free Wi-Fi in a café setting at the front, a large table with docked tablets, mobile device charging stations, multiple teller pods for personal and private transactions, a children's play area with docked smart devices and a media wall with four flat screen televisions connected together to show one large image.
"This is the most state-of-the art branch we have because we've actually put iPads and Kindles and Galaxies in here for our members to come in and use," Hayes said.
"You can do everything – literally 90% of your transactions – through an iPad or a Galaxy so we wanted to showcase that. We wanted to make sure that the technology is top-of-the-line for this entire branch," he added.
Hayes said the technology in the branch is available for members to access the web during their visit but it also serves as way for Andrews to showcase its mobile services and online banking.
"We designed the branch in a way that it would provide an experience when they come in here. It's not a traditional branch. We didn't want it to be a traditional branch. We wanted it to have a different feel when you come in here and get your financial services," he said.
Hayes is confident the branch will make members feel different about financial institutions and credit unions overall.
"The flow of the business here is going to be a lot different," he said, pointing toward the leather chairs where customers can relax, charge their cell phones and surf the Internet on their mobile devices.
"Our branch is here for our members and for them to use but we are trying to promote our electronic services so they realize the way you do banking today is probably a little different than the way you used to do it, so we want to make it front and center for their experience," Hayes explained.
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