Kim Preston

• When I first came to InRoads, we weren’t digital. We were so very in-person. Just being with InRoads and having that technology-based atmosphere
• One of our greatest achievements over the last four years is that we’ve really embraced it, and enhanced it – in a community that may have been a little bit hesitant – and been really successful. Our demographic is very rural. They value handshakes and value that in-person.
• And because we’re not the first person to implement technology, there is a little bit of a perception that it’s going to depersonalize their experience
• So trying to overcome that, and show our membership that it’s not going to depersonalize your experience. It’s going to elevate your experience, and we’re going be there to bank on your terms, and not just ours.

More member engagement?

• Absolutely. When we first started with digital banking we actually introduced that in the form of ITMs in our drive-through – and you would have thought that was doomsday for our members (!)
• Our members were like “Why did you do that? I want my teller! I want my personalized experience!”
• But now that is the preferred way – to bank through the drive-thru. If we ever went back to the old-school tubes that we sent over the drive-thru lanes, they would be mortified.
• So now we’re figuring out that as we personalize that, and as we continue to build those relationships, members prefer this way of banking. We just have to get over that initial hesitation

What challenges were you trying to overcome initially when you started with Eltropy?

• It’s really member-centric issues and staff-centric issues:
• For our members, we want them to be able to bank on their terms. And we want that experience to be clean, intentional, thoughtful, crisp, friction-free
• And when you’re in that traditional banking model, that doesn’t exist. You have to have a very large footprint and a lot of staff to be able to hand it in that fashion
• And the days are changing. People’s lives are busy. They’re taking their kids to school, they’re running their businesses, and you don’t always have time to walk into your bank to talk about a new loan, or talk about a new account …
• Better yet, you do end up finding the time, and walk into your bank – and there’s no staff available to help you! That’s an extremely frustrating experience.
• So by leveraging these technologies we can allow our members to bank on their terms. Not just for consumer loans, but for commercial, for mortgage, for general questions.
• On the staff side, there’s a lot of pressure of course with staffing, and there’s a tight labor market
• And we don’t want our members of our staff to be impacted by call-outs or organizational change. It just lets them be more efficient. 

Biggest result of Eltropy?

• Member satisfaction. It’s really simple. Consumers expect this level of service
• At our organization we talk a lot about “Why InRoads? Why do you want to choose us? Why don’t you want to choose a competitor or a mega-bank?”
• How are we building a value proposition that people just can’t refuse?
• And by leveraging these technologies like Eltropy, that’s allowed us to really execute that in a really intentional and thoughtful way
• Even with people who aren’t members: Now we’re in a world where if I’m on the phone with you and you’re driving, and you’re asking questions about joining and membership, I’m going to shoot you a text with a membership application …
• “I’m Kim. Text me if you have any questions. And by the way, when you get home, I won’t let you forget all the things we just went over, because I’m going to text that to you.”
• So it’s really allowing us to build relationships and make our members so happy

The leadership conference?

• It’s been awesome. It’s really easy to get in your silos. You think that your problems are the only problems that anyone is facing and they’re so unique to you.
• But when you get in a room with people who are using the same technologies and who are leaders and doing this thing day in and day out, it really gives a sense of “All right, we’re figuring this out together. We’re going along this path together.” It’s been really insightful.