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1 DO SOME RESEARCH. Establish a service baseline by don’t overlook input from your employees. They are the
conducting a little research to find out what is real- ones on the front line who really know how things are
ly happening at your branches, on the phone, through working. Evaluate, monitor and track procedures and
your online banking services and social media with processes to ensure they are working as they are sup-
your customers. I personally like shoppers’ research for posed to, and if they aren’t, change them. Once changes
phone and in-person assessments. Although considered are in place, you will want to continue to evaluate, moni-
subjective, a good shopper can provide you with tangi- tor and track to ensure that employees aren’t going back
ble and objective information about what is, and is not, to old habits and comfortable ways of doing things.
happening. With this understanding, you will be able 5 SET UP METRICS FOR MONITORING. Most people do
to identify your strengths and weaknesses and address what is inspected, and not necessarily what is expected. For
them through employee training, or make adjustments that reason, it is important to establish metrics for mea-
to procedures that are not customer friendly. Online suring the things you want to take place. Shoppers pro-
research can be as simple as having someone open an grams, employee focus groups and online customer sur-
online account and monitor the process and response veys can give you great information. It is also important
times, as well as evaluate the tone and content of mes- to consider operational efficiency and technology plat-
saging and the ease of using the service. Similarly, so-
cial media policies—as well as posted comments and re- forms to make sure the processes and procedures in
place are helping your employees provide excellent ser-
sponses—should be monitored regularly and evaluated.
vice, rather than impeding service. Not to mention, you
MOST PEOPLE DO WHAT IS INSPECTED, AND NOT might save some money or increase your revenue from
NECESSARILY WHAT IS EXPECTED. FOR THAT REASON, an in-depth assessment.
6 KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don’t make your research so compli-
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH METRICS FOR cated that it becomes cumbersome to track and train. I
MEASURING THE THINGS YOU WANT TO TAKE PLACE. always suggest limiting service standards to a few be-
haviors that will really make a difference in how your
2 KNOW WHAT YOUR COMPETITION IS DOING and how you
stack up. As much as most bankers would like to think bank is perceived, and help employees to focus on some
they are better than the competition, in many cases they of those behaviors that don’t come naturally, like using
the customer’s name or asking for the business. Can’t we
are all about the same when it comes to providing ser- just assume most people will say “thank you”? As you get
vice. Shopping your competition offers useful informa- better and employees have learned new behaviors, you
tion. Are they providing about the same level of service can add more standards.
that you are? Or are they better? Worse? Competitive
information will help you to think about what you can 7 PRACTICE R3. This is short for “Reward, Recognition
do to improve and exceed the norm of service. and Rah-Rah.” When you can prove that your bank has
the best customer service, the friendliest tellers in town,
3 DEFINE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR that you want from
your employees and make sure that they understand the most responsive loan officers, the best online bank-
ing, etc., be sure to make it stick by reinforcing those be-
your expectations. If you don’t have written standards haviors through rewards, recognition and a little rah‑rah
that are clearly and consistently communicated, used celebration. Employees will love it and be more focused
in training and monitored, you are leaving it up to your on continuing to do what you want them to do.
employees to decide how they provide service, which is
not a good idea. Written standards should clearly de- t goes without saying, providing excellent ser-
fine behaviors that you expect from your employees and vice is a process, not an event. So don’t let your
that can be easily monitored. For example, Answer the monitoring and assessments become one-time
phone by the third ring; Identify yourself to the caller; and Ask events either. Monitor and track consistently
for the caller’s name are standards that can be monitored. I and adjust as needed. The goal is to have contin-
But something like Provide friendly customer service is too uous improvement. By making this a priority, your ser-
vague and difficult to evaluate.
vice will improve over time. And when you claim it’s so,
4 CONSIDER BANK PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES in your you can prove it! H
evaluation. Sometimes an employee can do his or her
best, but procedures and processes get in the way, neg- With more than 37 years of experience in the banking industry,
atively impacting the customer’s perception of the expe- Debi Barnes is a principal at DD&F Consulting Group. She uses
rience—and it’s no fault of the employee. I once worked her marketing expertise to assist clients with sensitive strategic
with a bank whose processes were so cumbersome it took marketing and communication issues related to new market
more than an hour to open a new account. This certain- entry, name changes, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory
ly isn’t a good way to get started with a new customer! A agreements. She can be reached at 501/374‑2600 or dbarnes@
good shopper can help identify those situations, but also ddfconsulting.com.

30 | THE TEXAS INDEPENDENT BANKER