Business Case – Employee Recognition

Focus on Customers During Merger and Acquisition

Target Audience
4,000 Bank Associates

Situation
Management wanted to engage and focus Associates on customer needs during large scale mergers – when customer run-off can exceed 10%.

Objectives

  • Retain and grow customers
  • Target key Associate behaviors and practices, including:

– Take Action (to keep the customer)

– Take Notice (of warning signals)

– Take Time (to build customer relationships)

  • Reinforce and reward excellent customer care through recognition and “Award Bucks” redeemable for a variety of motivating merchandise.

    • Solution

  • Each branch implemented its own “Banking At Its Best” reward and recognition program that focused on its own improvement metrics.
  • Managers observed and coached, awarding “Bucks” that were issued to Associates on-the-spot for “taking action, taking notice, and taking time” with customers.
  • Associates were given “Award Bucks” to distribute to their peers when they observed outstanding customer care.
  • Excellent customer care stories were shared and rewarded for at weekly branch meetings.
  • Banking At Its Best communications and awareness materials were utilized (creative print materials and “wearables”) to gain engagement and excitement of Associates and customers.
  • An inspiring award selection was provided to reinforce the tangible rewards available when Associates properly focused on the customer.

    • Results
    7 out of 10 divisions (representing 258 branch locations) achieved 100% net account retention. Overall, client experienced 6% growth in accounts.

    Banking At Its Best was a flexible customer retention and growth program that was fully implemented at the branch level — allowing individual branches to set their own reward parameters in support of the overall customer-focused strategy.