By Mike Neill
A unique dedication toward member service stems from the Seven Cooperative Principles of Credit Unions. But every credit union has room for improvement. What if you could eliminate errors, reduce miscommunications, and overall make doing business at your institution a more positive experience for your membership? The key to unlocking your potential for improving external member service is first improving your internal service.
The philosophy behind a focus on internal service is the service provided to clients is never better than the service employees provide to each other. Poor internal service not only translates to poor member service, but it also has a negative impact on the bottom line. The Gallup Research Group says profitability can be negatively impacted by as much as 20% due to communication breakdowns between departments, operational inefficiencies and poor teamwork.
Credit unions committed to member service can start by following this recipe for improving internal service:
- Measure: take a formal look at what is occurring now to identify strengths and opportunities
- Manage: catch folks doing things right and provide feedback on effective behaviors
- Improve: build in accountability for results to reinforce new behaviors
- Achieve: enjoy the rewards of a positive work environment which infuses a new spirit into your external member service
If you have not previously identified internal service as a key performance area, it may seem daunting to get started. You’ll want to make sure you use a comprehensive solution that equips your credit union to evaluate service levels at virtually every member touch point, leading to a plan of action and measurable improvement.
One problem that can stymie the improvement process is employees tend to identify more strongly with their departments than the organization as a whole. This “silo mentality,” can be a recurring obstacle to achieving measureable improvement. Studies from the Business Research Lab show the number one cause of employee disengagement is poor communication between departments.
Leaders have an obligation to provide a physically and emotionally safe workplace. Build an environment where people want to come to work each day; are supported in their growth; receive timely, appropriate feedback; and are treated with respect. Your members will be the ultimate beneficiaries.
Michael Neill is the President and founder of Michael Neill & Associates, Inc., and the author of two books, Creating and Maintaining a Credit Union Sales and Service Culture, and Coaching for Maximum Performance.
What gets measured gets done. Begin your internal service program with Internal Service Survey. Learn more by watching a demo now.
