Lending Perspectives: There is no substitute for ‘give a damn’
How hard is your credit union willing to work to serve members and make the loan?
Like so many businesspeople, I seek inspiration to improve myself and my credit union whenever possible. Several years ago, I saw a little saying on LinkedIn that has been speaking to me on an almost daily basis since: “There is no substitute for give a damn.”
It speaks to me because whether you “give a damn” is so integral to what makes credit unions the best place for consumers to do their banking. The operational tsunami we all faced with COVID-19 only reinforced the importance of showing you “give a damn” and may have actually exposed how perhaps credit unions don’t have the wide lead they once enjoyed over the banks and other financial institutions in terms of reaching out to and serving consumers. How can credit unions improve their “give a damn” quotient?
1. Continue to lead with transparent, consumer-friendly products and policies.
Credit unions, like it or not, have a reputation for being plain Jane when it comes to product design. Think of all the complex options banks tend to build into home equity lines—like the ability to lock the rate on a portion (or several) portions of the overall line—and the cash-back rewards they offer on credit cards that vary greatly based on the product purchased (gas, groceries, etc). In these cases, the design sells the product. A very attractive feature catches the consumer’s attention and differentiates the equity loan or credit card. Sometimes, these features can be fairly difficult for the consumer to understand. I think there’s an opportunity to build our business and reputation by embracing the elegance in simplicity and/or ease of use. While the iPhone is an extraordinarily complex device, it’s well-designed from a consumer standpoint; there are no iPhone instruction manuals! How can you make your financial products easier for members to understand and use?
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