SANTA ANA, Calif. — Need proof that leadership begins at the top? The CEO of $8-billion SchoolsFirst FCU personally meets, and participates in the training of all employees.
That kind of top-down commitment makes VP-Marketing Derek Longshore's job easy. "From my experience-and I've worked for many companies and some other financial institutions-this is the first place I've not had to put a bow on to something or make it pretty," he said. "When I make a promise in marketing, it is going to happen. Members are going to get a smile, whether in person or on the phone. There is a commitment to the members across the board."
Longshore said CEO Rudy Hanley's participation in the training of new staffers sets the tone from the beginning. "We have more than 1,000 employees here and he meets every one and tells them how to treat members. He was a teacher, so those sessions are pretty interactive-he gives examples from the past as to how member service reps handled a situation and asks the new people for their ideas."
Callahan and Associates ranks SchoolsFirst in first place for CUs with more than $1 billion in assets in its Member Service Usage category.
"We encourage product participation because the more products members participate in, the better it is for all members by economies of scale," he noted. "You can't sell service; you can only demonstrate it by giving over-the-top service as soon as members walk in the door. We don't sell our products, we just make sure all of our members are aware of the benefits of using those products by lower fees and things of that nature."
In addition to the regular products and services SchoolsFirst offers, Longshore said management looks out for members based on what is going on in the world. For example, the CU declared March "Green Month," introducing several online services designed to improve efficiency, help the environment and save SchoolsFirst money. "The key is we place member service as our No. 1 organizational priority, from the top all the way down to the member service representatives. We emphasize it and re-emphasize it."
This attitude shows up even in the sometimes contentious world of collections, Longshore pointed out. He said SchoolsFirst receives thank you letters from people who are in collections remarking on the treatment they received. "Even though they were in financial constraints, they said our collections department treated them with dignity."
"When I was growing up I often heard the saying, 'The customer is always right.' But a lot of businesses have gotten away from that," mused Longshore. "When we roll out a program, we strive to make sure no member is harmed."
