Member Service Representatives are not only the face of your credit union, but they are the lifeline to smooth front-end operations. If your CU is trying to evolve and grow, then it’s imperative to consider ways to increase the productivity of your employees, without wearing them out with more responsibility than they can handle. Here are 5 ideas you can implement at your CU to make your MSR’s more productive in their daily work:

1. Create an environment that makes work enjoyable. You want your team to treat members with friendly attitudes, patience and understanding. You also expect staff to inform members of additional services that can improve their experience at the CU. To create that environment, you need to extend your MSRs the same courtesies and development opportunities. If MSRs feel that work is rewarding, and enjoy serving and solving member problems, the better they will be at it. Happy employees mean happy members.
2. Encourage proper etiquette. In our article 6 Things MSR’s Should Remind Themselves of Daily we discuss how language and posture earn trust.  Scientific studies confirm that body language is all-important when it comes to making first impressions, forming new relationships, and maintaining existing relationships. The 7%-38%-55% rule, postulated by psychologist Albert Mehrabian, points to three elements that inform first impressions and earn trust: Words are 7% of the message, tone of voice is 38%, and body language is 55%. Remind MSRs that, while what they say is important, 93% of their interactions are perceived by tone, attitude, and nonverbal cues. Their attitude can make or break the member/CU bond. If the members come out with a positive feeling about their interaction, they’re more likely to encourage others to join.

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