Create an Obsession-Level Member Experience

When you think of brands that create a following of obsessed customers, maybe you think of In-N-Out Burger, Apple or Amazon. It’s not a coincidence. Those companies work hard to create a customer experience that is “obsession level.” Jeff Bezos said of Amazon, “The number one thing that has made us successful, by far, is obsessive focus on the customer as opposed to obsession over the competitor.”

Creating that level of service is a growing challenge, especially for credit unions. According to Forrester’s 2024 US Customer Experience (CX) Index, customer service nationwide is at an all-time low, having declined each year since its peak in 2021. The study measures three aspects of CX quality – effectiveness, ease and emotion. Companies that score high in these three areas are described as “customer obsessed.”  These organizations, which make up only 3% of those surveyed, report 41% faster revenue growth, 49% faster profit growth and 51% better customer retention than those at non-customer-obsessed organizations.

The bottom line is, we should all be striving to provide our members with the most effective, easy and sincere interactions so that they qualify as member obsessed. Yet with uncertain economic conditions, delinquency rates rising and deposits top of mind, it may seem daunting to add “create an obsession-level member experience” to your to-do list. Yet your member experience has the most positive impact on your bottom line.

Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” famously said, “Treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” So, we need to start with our most readily available resource: Our staff.

“Consistent, constant and clear member experience training for all staff will not only move the needle on member experience, but it will have a positive impact on employee satisfaction as well,” Laura Loy, member experience director for On the Mark Strategies, said.

If you think you can’t possibly add one more thing to your credit union plate, let’s break it down into easily achievable parts.

Microtraining

Think of training as fun-sized candy bars. Sometimes all you need is a few bites of a Snickers to get you going, and member experience training can be bite-sized too. Setting aside 15 minutes a week, or 30 minutes once or twice a month, for employee training is better than a once-a-year refresher.

The truth is that’s how learning has evolved in our society. Podcasts are getting shorter and shorter, MasterClass lessons are only 10 minutes long and TED Talks are known for their 18-minute time limit. The key, however, is constancy and consistency. Leadership speaker and writer John Maxwell said, “The first time you say something, it’s heard. The second time, it’s recognized, and the third time it’s learned.” Set a regular schedule and stick to it; don’t skipp training because another meeting has come up.

Outsourcing

Larger credit unions may have the luxury of an in-house trainer, but the salary can be prohibitive for many small to mid-sized credit unions. It is also difficult to find a qualified trainer who is willing to work in-house. Enter outsourcing as an option. In fact, you’ll likely get a better and more efficient experience by outsourcing, because you’re bringing in an industry expert who has copious experience and resources. There are many good programs offered, for example through America’s Credit Unions and CUES. If you’re looking to save resources, outsourcing is a great way to do it.

Video

Do you remember “show and tell” in elementary school? There was a reason it wasn’t just “tell” – we are much more likely to remember something if we can associate a visual image with it. Psychologist Allan Paivio developed the theory that visuals are more memorable than words because they are stored in the memory in two ways – as both an image, and as a word or words that describe the image. On the other hand, words are only stored in the memory as the word itself.

To exemplify the proliferation of video, just look at TikTok. Globally, across all age groups, the average time spent on TikTok is 95 minutes per day. And let’s not forget about YouTube, the second most popular search engine behind Google. These days most people would rather watch a video on how to change the filter in their fridge’s water dispenser than read step by step instructions.

Customization

More and more, we must stand out from competitors in our industry. It’s not enough anymore to compete on rates or basic service. In my experience, there are some great off-the-shelf customer service training programs, but that’s not going to set you apart. A competitor can buy the same thing or something similar, and your service will be the same.

I like to say differentiate, don’t duplicate, and training is no different. Having a customized program that is built around your credit union’s journey map and brand will take your level of member service from good or even great, to obsession-level. Why? Because it resonates with staff. We’ve seen that those credit unions that name their program and link it to their brand see much higher buy-in from employees, leading to greater returns and results. We call that operationalizing the brand.

Ultimately, creating an obsession-level member experience isn’t about training at all. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out. I recently heard a quote from Jesse Cole, founder of the incredibly successful Savannah Bananas, an exhibition barnstorming baseball team in Savannah, Ga. Cole said, “I don’t like the word ‘training.’ I believe dogs are trained. Humans should be coached, mentored and educated.” So, whatever you do, make sure you’re pursuing an avenue to coach, mentor and educate your staff on how to provide obsession-level experience for every member, every day.

Mark Arnold is founder and president of On the Mark Strategies, a Dallas, Texas-based consulting firm specializing in branding and strategic planning for credit unions.