The skills needed to succeed in the workplace are changing, with companies placing greater value on soft skills like communication and leadership. In response, community banks have an opportunity to revisit hiring policies and training programs.
Category: Retail
Expanding horizons with cross-country branches
Community banks across the nation are breaking into markets outside their typical areas of operation. Here’s how four banks are successfully finding new locations, acquiring new customers and bringing convenience to existing ones.
Can AI assist in vendor management challenges?
As community banks grow, their vendor partnerships usually also do, which can lead to challenges with organization, data security and more. To address these issues, some community banks have turned to artificial intelligence.
Retail banking trends to look out for in 2023
What’s on the horizon for retail banking? We spoke with two community banks that have ramped up their services to meet—and exceed—the changing expectations of customers.
Should you offer financial planning services?
Offering financial planning services is one way to expand a community bank’s footprint and deepen customer relationships. We spoke with several banks about why and how they offer wealth management services to new and existing clients.
Hallmarks of stellar customer service across industries
Good customer service is good customer service, no matter the industry. Consumers build their customer service expectations based on their best—and worst—experiences, whether it’s with a grocery store or an online retailer. So, what lessons in innovative customer service can community banks learn from companies in other industries?
How community banks serve immigrants
When people come to live in the U.S. from other countries, they often don’t have an American credit history, identification or other typical requirements of the account-opening or loan process. But community banks are finding ways to serve this growing population while mitigating credit and compliance hurdles.
How COVID-19 has disrupted retail banking
The pandemic has disrupted the world of retail, and retail banking was no exception. Community banks adapted to COVID-19 restrictions to meet the needs of customers, embracing new and existing branch trends.
Community bank branches are evolving
Many community banks were already rethinking the role of their branches when COVID-19 forced them to interact with customers in new and increasingly digital ways. But rather than buck physical banking trends, industry experts say the pandemic is furthering existing evolutions in how customers use branches, especially for complex financial services.
How community banks can ease financial anxiety
Unknowns create anxiety, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought uncertainty like few other times in modern memory. Luckily, customers who feel anxious about money have community banks to lean on.