COLUMBUS, Ohio-BMI FCU here has opened a new headquarters that seeks to take the intangible concept of member service and turn it into something visible.
The facility also pays public attention to its SEGs and offers them private meeting space.
The 28,000-member strong credit union hired a third-party surveying firm to help determe what members and non-members in the community liked or knew about BMI. According to the credit union, the results showed that the majority of respondents said BMI does "a superb job in member service."
Having outgrown a headquarters constructed in 1994, it began seeking to create a new facility that could both serve a practical purpose in delivering more service to the Dublin, Ohio market with expanded space, while also conveying an aura of invitation and gratitude to the membership.
"It is such an inviting area-it has earth tones, stone, and warm colors," said CEO Sharon Custer. "As you walk in, the first thing you see is a large sign that says ‘Welcome to your credit union,' and that draws you in."
BMI also constructed a wall of gratitude for its SEGs, finished off with logos of the larger groups and messages of thanks to all members, that was placed in the lobby as well.
"We wanted to send the message to these employee groups that they are important to us, they are part of us, and it is a way to draw them back to BMI," said Custer "We've gotten a wonderful response to that wall; it's our way of saying thank you."
The wall even pays tribute to pioneers of the $310-million credit union's past as volunteers and employees since the institution's founding in 1936 are featured, as well. BMI also added on a 4,000 square foot meeting room to the headquarters, designed specifically for its members. BMI charges a nominal $100 fee to take care of the cleaning when one of the SEG businesses wants to hold a meeting in the $500,000 facility. Meetings can be held any time because it is secured separately from the branch and headquarters section of the facility.
Like the decorated lobby and the massive steel kinetic statue of the credit union's logo that sways in the wind outside the building, the meeting room is meant to convey to members and prospects that BMI has gone an extra mile and spent the extra money to fulfill its vision.
"Taking the time to make sure that the building has the elements added a slight expense, but not that much. I think we took the time to make sure that the building is inviting but nothing over the top," Custer said.
The expense is clearly paying off as a number of businesses have begun to reserve the room for major meetings and other events.
And just three weeks after the facility's grand opening, Custer told CU Journal "we're already getting telephone calls from our SEGs that want to use it."
