The Marriage of Mobile and Your Team

Much of my career has been spent within credit unions leading frontline teams, including branches. As with most good things, I stumbled into it. Wanting to make a move to Chicago, I suggested that I not only manage marketing, but also a remote branch in the Second City. I quickly fell in love. Not just with the city, but with the member experience and how it was delivered. Having spent my first year out of college behind the scenes as a member of the marketing team, it was extremely eye opening to watch our members interact with our frontline team.

The credit union was more than just a place where members came to deposit money, cash checks and finance loans. It was a place full of people they trusted. Members relied on those trusted advisors. They looked to them for help, guidance and oftentimes to share a smile and a story to brighten their day. As credit unions develop and grow their mobile strategies, I often hear frontline team members and leaders wondering, “What does this mean for our team?” Even more directly, “Does this mean I’m going to lose my job?” These are important questions. My opinion: Mobile technology can amplify and create even deeper engagement with your frontline staff. It isn’t a question of either people or mobile technology. The answer is the powerful intersection of people and mobile technology.

In a recent Filene report, “Mobile Banking: Trends in Technology, Innovation and Equity,” we chronicled advice and guidance from experts on this important topic. David Fetherstonhaugh, a behavioral economist and designer with IDEO, shared an interesting thesis: “The hearts of customers are still up for grabs.” This bears out especially when you look at millennials’ perspectives on banking from the Millennial Disruption Index: They’d rather go to the dentist than their bank.