Practicing Random Acts of Customer Service

When I began searching for a place to buy last year, I didn't really know what I was doing. My family is spread all over the country, so they were only able to provide advice via telephone. Like many first-time homebuyers, I was overwhelmed by the process. I was also perplexed by the idea of making a decision about such an expensive purchase after seeing the home for only a few hours over the duration of a couple visits. I sought guidance from friends and took a first-time homebuyers class (both of which were very helpful).

While at my friend's house during his home inspection, I struck up a conversation with his real estate agent. We made small talk and I told her I had been looking for places to buy, but was still pretty uncommitted to the idea. She and I weighed the pros and cons of renting versus owning. I was surprised by her approach – she didn't pressure me at all toward buying and seemed genuinely interested in having a conversation beyond the topic of real estate. The conversation felt honest and up front, with no hidden agenda. At the end she said, "Take my card and if you decide you want to start looking, give me a call." I was impressed by her non-pushy approach.

A few weeks later, I gave her a call. After looking at two condos, I made a decision and purchased my first place. I got lucky; I had an amazing real estate agent and loan officer who walked me through every step of the process. I've kept in touch with both of them, and just last week my real estate agent sent me a card with a $5 Starbucks gift card and a nice note saying she was thinking of me and hoped that I was well. Handwritten cards are so rare these days, so needless to say, I was excited and impressed by her continued engagement long after she had made her sales commission. This is customer service at its finest. For me, it was a nice gesture and something that created buzz – a way to stick out in the crowd and receive continued referrals from past clients. In fact, it's genius if you ask me, because it was memorable enough that I'm here telling you about it now.

These random acts of kindness – or as I like to call them, random acts of customer service – have the ability to really change the trajectory of someone's day. Getting the note from my real estate agent certainly changed my day and I shared the experience with a lot of people. This has a two-fold benefit – my real estate agent's name got out there and I shared kindness, something that often has a ripple effect.

With today's 24-hour news cycle of horrific events taking place at home and abroad, we can all use an extra dose of kindness.

Credit unions are uniquely positioned to provide this type of customer service, and so often they do. Over the past few years, I've interviewed dozens of credit union employees who shared stories with me about how they've gone above and beyond to help their members.

Will Crosswell, market manager at the $653 million, Philadelphia-based Ardent Credit Union, recently told me during an interview that last month, he set aside a time for his employees to share how they go above and beyond. One employee shared a story about how they drove a member to the gas station because the member ran out of gas. Another employee came in on a weekend to notarize documents for a homebound member.

Kenia Calderon, a client relations associate with the Hispanic market solutions firm Coopera, told me during an interview that her credit union was the reason she was able to attend college. She developed a friendly relationship with the staff at the $12 million Village Credit Union in Des Moines, Iowa; they knew how much she wanted to go to college, so they pointed her to resources that she wouldn't have known about otherwise. This opportunity completely changed Calderon's life and the lives of many of her family members. In her family alone, three people will become college graduates, leaving school debt-free because of Village CU.

This type of great customer service keeps members coming back and helps build opportunities for lifelong engagement.

Here are a few ways to provide better customer service:

Share your knowledge and be a connector. Calderon learned about scholarships because credit union employees told her about scholarship opportunities. If someone needs help with something, share what you know.

If "no" is the answer – whether it's a no on a car loan or a credit card – help the member find an alternative. Perhaps that means financial counseling to improve their credit score so they can eventually be eligible.

Be kind. You never know what someone is going through. Ask people how their day is going. It helps build a relationship so you can be better aware of their financial needs.

Write a thank-you note when applicable. This entire column was inspired by a handwritten thank-you note. Small gestures go a long way.

If a member can't make it into the credit union to sign documents, offer to go to their house (when possible).

For managers: Review your website and make changes where possible to improve the customer service experience. For example, make it easy for people who are researching a topic to find the information, tools or loan calculators on the credit union's website. A good web experience can be just as important as a good one-on-one offline experience.

When did you go above and beyond at your credit union (or in life)? Send me an email detailing some of your great customer service experiences. In my next column, I'll be returning to my three-part series profiling strong women. Stay tuned!