Integrating CustomerService Into Every Day

Integrating Customer Service Into Every Day Fall 2011

Monroe Bank & Trust demonstrates the effectiveness of incorporating customer service into all facets of the business 18

Customer Care News

As part of its ongoing commitment to helping businesses excel

in customer service, Customer Care News is pleased to recognize

those companies that are implementing and reaching success with customer service programs, such as Monroe Bank & Trust.

I

in fact attend a service course and probably exhibited that

same behavior during the course and still received a certificate for completion, maybe even accolades.

MBT has taken

c an’t believe I am stuck waiting for this train! I

a

John mumbled to himself as the caboose honked

vice and sales. Doug

knew I should have left a few minutes earlier,

by. Now I just need to quickly f ind a parking space. A space was

waiting for him on the street. Where’s the loose change that usually sits in the console? Which one of the kids took my change?

John frantically opened the car door. He jumped out and started to fumble through his car looking for change to feed

the meter. Just then a man walked up, introduced himself and offered to make change for John.

At Monroe Bank & Trust (MBT), opportunities for ser-

vice aren’t always about banking. Ken, part of the MBTeam, directs the employee parking lot on a part-time basis. He noticed people with business downtown often had problems finding a place to park. Instead of ignoring people in distress

such as John, he saw this as an opportunity. Ken regularly

brings quarters from home to help people so they don’t need to run to get change.

John made it to his meeting on time. He was so apprecia-

tive of Ken that he brought 13 quarters for him to “give away” to others. John may have already been a customer of the bank,

very

approach

different

to

ser-

Chaffin, president and

CEO, had the vision

What used to be an anecdotal benefit when handing over your money to a teller now seems to be the driving force of sustainability in an industry that is depleted with competition and riddled with government intervention and bureaucracy.

to bring service into

the forefront of MBT’s culture. The bank’s CARE program was introduced to the organization in 2003. CARE stands for Communicate, Ask Questions, Refer/Respond and Enjoy the Results. The CARE program looks and feels just a little bit

different to each and every department, however one thing

that is the same for every department and every employee: following the program is not an option, but a basic expectation. When new employees are introduced to the CARE process, the focus is on relationship development. This is

the goal behind every interaction with every customer, both

internal and external. The message isn’t about quotas or

outcomes, rather it’s about creating win-win-win situations.

It should be a win for the customer, a win for the bank and a win for the employee.

but after his encounter with Ken he is now an advocate of

Don’t treat it like an event

his days as a police officer by giving them bus money when

“required training.” The new employees are asked to attend

Service is a necessity for community banks now more

ers and situations. When they go back to their respective

Monroe Bank and Trust. Ken also helps kids he knows from they don’t have it.

than ever. What used to be an anecdotal benefit when handing over your money to a teller now seems to be the driving

For some corporations, service is treated like any other

service training. They have a great time discussing customfront-line jobs, nothing changes. There is no accountability

force of sustainability in an industry that is depleted with

competition and riddled with government intervention and bureaucracy.

Service is a solution that is simplistically, diabolically

complex. How hard could it really be? This stuff should be

innate to people because they are, in essence — consumers. Is this something that you should really have to teach, or even

verbalize as an expectation? If you assume this, you would quickly become disenchanted when simply buying gas or filling a prescription at a local drug store. You may even ask yourself as you drive off, “Why doesn’t the corporate office

Fall 2011

develop a customer service training course for these people?”

It may be even more depressing to find out that the employee, who was too busy texting and chatting with co-workers, did

www.customercarenews.com

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It has to be nurtured and modeled from the top

When these concepts were first

introduced, there were only a few early

adopters. The rest of the organization

had a “wait and see” attitude. Early on it was successful because it was talked

about and modeled at the very top of the

organization. At every employee event, Chaffin spoke about CARE. At every

meeting, Chaffin asked and requested information about CARE. His commit-

ment and reinforcement made it clear — it wasn’t a promotion or flavor of the month — this was going to be the new “business as usual.” Chaffin committed

to a bi-weekly check-in with the CEO

of the consulting group that assisted and little or no expectation for making any type of change.

The reason why it’s just an event is because service just isn’t

in the company’s culture. It’s so much easier this way, isn’t it?

missed a meeting. That’s modeling from the top.

Service is not one size fits all

isn’t something that can be done one time, or even annually.

for another. Regardless of what many marketers say, it is not

to service.

Ken at the beginning of this article? In another organization,

Training isn’t the end all, be all — especially when it comes

When CARE was first introduced there were training

sessions, but they were treated more like a kick-off. After each person left the session and returned to the office, the expec-

What works for one organization may not work at all

something that can be bought (not even in a can). Remember Ken’s act of service may not be regarded as that. He may even be reprimanded for not doing his job.

Often, service in banking is overshadowed by following

tation was there for things to be different. And they were.

policies, mitigating risk and the occasional slow computer.

a regular basis with one another. This included team meet-

ones. At the front lines it means taking time to understand the

Employees and managers were expected to communicate on ings and one-on-one meetings. The communication didn’t

stop at that level. Managers were expected to report to their

managers. Many corporations tend to drive information from the top down. These management routines, however, allowed

for a better flow of information, especially at the top so

the senior management team had an idea what was working

and what needed adjusting. The expectation for commu-

nication didn’t stop there. Managers were also required to observe their staff on a regular basis as they interacted with

The focus is on how to have quality conversations, not scripted customer and ask quality questions. The idea is to listen for

clues to help the customer. The goal is to become a trusted advisor not a product pusher. Behind the scenes it means taking the time to communicate with other departments and

understanding that everyone is working toward the same goal.

Service is the people side of the business and these expectations must be relayed to the back office just as often as the front line.

When a customer’s loan was up for renewal, Tamara, a

their customers. The result was that managers had better

specialist in MBT’s Loan Documentation Department, had to

edge to use in coaching them on specifics. It also made

than allowing the customer to find out about it through an

feedback to give employees and also had firsthand knowl-

Fall 2011

This was a three-year commitment of which Chaffin never

Everyone can just cross it off his or her lists and go back to business as usual. Ensuring the legacy of service in a culture

it easier when it was time for mid-year and annual performance reviews.

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with the training and implementation.

inform the customer about a rate increase in insurance. Rather automatic letter notification, Tamara took the initiative and

contacted the insurance company to understand why the

Customer Care News

increase was being applied. She didn’t stop there. Tamara then

after they move out of the area. During the summer of 2011,

served by other options. The end result was that she called her

at approximately 10 branches, including the Carleton branch.

requested more quotes to see if her customer would be better customer prior to sending the letter about the rate increase.

She explained that there would be a rate increase, but she also

explained why the insurance company was raising the cost. She

then offered other quotes and options that she had requested on her customer’s behalf. In the words of Ellen, Tamara’s manager, “the customer was basically ‘wowed’ and forgot to

be upset over having to increase the…insurance. Instead, the personal ‘I care’ phone call became the tone of the conversation

and the customer had no problems with spending the extra money on increased premiums.”

What good is icing if there is no cake?

If there isn’t substance to your service efforts, then when

Chaffin was the master griller at employee appreciation events It’s quite a commitment for an already full schedule. When he

introduced himself to customers Amy and Lance they asked

who he was and what he did at the bank. He replied, “I’m the

president,” and Amy asked, “Of the whole bank?” He said, “Yes, of the whole bank.” Before they left they commented to another customer that these types of experiences are the reason

why they are willing to drive an hour away to bank at MBT. As impressed as they were to meet the bank’s president, it’s

the time that Rose and her team took to develop and nurture that relationship that laid the foundation for their satisfied

experience. Their encounter with Chaffin was just the icing on the cake.

There is no final destination point of WHEN you

you have celebrations it’s just fluff. Rose and her team at the

are a service organization. You have to build it one relation-

concept. She and her team have built solid relationships with

clear on how it defines service and then find ways to weave

MBT Carleton branch understand the importance of this customers to the extent that many continue to bank there even

ship at a time, over time. The organization just has to be

it into the culture until it becomes the culture. It has to be open to the opportunity to create

positive experiences, one customer at a time. CCN

Wendy Warrington Parker is the Vice

President, Organizational Development and Training Manager for Monroe

Bank & Trust (MBT). Having been with MBT since 2003, she is current-

ly responsible for spearheading change management

initiatives, developing

a corporate university, and consulting

with the bank’s various departments to develop and implement traditional

and web-based employee education

and management leadership programs.

MBT Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: MBTF), a single bank holding company

headquartered in Monroe, Mich., is the parent company of MBT. Founded in

1858, MBT is one of the largest community banks in Southeast Michigan with

25 offices, 41 ATMs, and a comprehen-

Wendy Warrington Parker

www.customercarenews.com

Fall 2011

sive array of products and services. For more information, go online at www. mbandt.com.

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