branch design, branching, truwest credit union

A whopping 70% of the country's credit union branches now suffer from outdated design that doesn't attract business and can even drive it away, according to John Smith, who is the CEO of design firm DBSI.

Smith, whose firm redesigns credit unions and has projects going in over 35 states, said changing branch layouts, item placements, signage and even wall decor can increase foot traffic, loan originations, and account openings.

One of his latest projects was a redesign for TruWest Credit Union, which has 14 branches on the east side of Phoenix and about $900 million in assets. TruWest had been operating an out-of-date location in Chandler, Arizona, for 13 years and decided to replace it in 2014 by building a new branch right across the street.

“The new branch building design coupled with our amazing staff allowed us to deliver a superior level of performance resulting in measurable wins,” according to TruWest SVP/COO Gary Bernard.

Smith said transactions rose 16% and loan originations went up 52% at the DBSI-designed branch compared to the old branch, which is closed.

Smith offered eight tips to improve branch performance.

Get smaller. “Historically, people built these sites far too large — 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 square feet,” Smith said. “As their traffic has diminished, they're like, 'Okay. How do I feel relevant in such a large location? I don't need all this space any more.'» Consider subletting some of that space instead, he explained. GECU in El Paso, Texas, for example, leased half its footprint to a coffee and tea shop. Now the two share traffic: some of the shop's clients do some banking, and some CU members buy food or beverages. “You doubled the traffic and helped one another, all while reducing your cost by 50%,” he said.

Avoid plain, static signage. “We want branches to sell 24/7. They literally have to be selling when you're not working during those operating hours while people are driving around,” he said. That's why signage is one of the biggest expenses in many remodels, Smith explained, and it should be big, bold, and “on” even when the branch is closed. The new TruWest branch, for instance, got a much larger sign that pivots. “During the day as you're walking in, you're seeing the messaging. At night, they swivel to the outside so that when people are driving by, they're still capturing all of that messaging. It has to pop and have some wow appeal to it and not just blend into the geography,” he explained.

Fix the vestibule. The vestibule isn't just the entrance to the building, Smith said, it's the beginning of an experience. The best branch designs have open vestibules and robust interior lighting “so that you can see into the space and see how warm and inviting it is,” he explained. “Walk through your space as if you're a member. Think about and compare that experience to other retailers, because most all retailers have transformed. Think about hotels and airport lounges,” he said.

updated branch design, truWest credit union, profitability

TruWest Credit Union replaced its outdated branch in Chandler, Ariz., with a new one built across the street in 2014.

Don't use interior signage to bark orders. “If the first thing I see is a sign that says 'Get in line' or 'The line starts here,” you're probably not giving a great first impression,” Smith said. “The first thing we say is that people make the difference in a credit union. They certainly do, but you haven't even given your member the choice of who to work with. They get into that line. They just take whoever's next…These little elements of the journey a member goes through, they don't make any sense anymore.”

“I go through that line. I get up to see a teller,” he continued. “Then I say, 'Hi. I'm here to open up a money market account,' or, 'I'm here to see about a loan origination,' or whatever. The teller would love to help you, but that's not their job. That's not their role. All they're going to say is, 'Sorry about that. Can you go over and see an MSR? It's one of those people whose over at the desk.' The consumer's going, 'Now wait a minute. You told me to get in line. I did that. I waited in line. I came up to see you. Essentially, I just wasted my time. Why didn't someone tell me to go see that person right when I got in?' There's very poor directional elements. There's very poor greeting. Those are the things that if you want to start out well, stop doing.”

Add more technology displays and make the staff available to teach members how to use it. “The bulk of the market, say 85% of the market, is not very tech savvy,” Smith said. “They're skeptical. They're still trying to understand what all the stuff is.” At TruWest, he said, staff members carry tablets and are trained to show members how to do more things online. “We'll literally on-board the member and show them, 'Here. Let's sign you up for an account. Let's take a check and actually deposit it.' When you do that to someone that has a little bit of skepticism, they are such a shoo-in for you because they're like, 'Oh my gosh. I can't believe someone didn't show me this six months ago. This is much easier than I thought.' Those people go and tell 10 others because they're so thrilled.”

Get rid of the wall of brochures. This is ubiquitous, Smith said. “Who's going to read that stuff anymore? These are four pages, six-point font, a bunch of legal definitions. That's not a way to convey a message,” he said. “If you just say, 'We offer term life insurance. Here's our rates,' it's boring and it's stale. No one pays attention to that stuff.”

Save the mandatory disclosures for your website, Smith advised, and focus on using branch materials and collateral to convey the savings and benefits members have earned on products you sell.

Rethink using TVs to entertain people waiting in line.

“They're entertaining. However, if you put it on Fox, you're upsetting a lot of the liberals. Put on MSNBC and you're upsetting 50% on the other side,” he explained. Putting on something seemingly benign such as HGTV is risky, too, he said.

“You know who advertises on HGTV? Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo. Every hour, about three times an hour, your members are seeing commercials from other institutions that may have a better rate than you.”

Instant Insights /

TruWest Redesigns Branch, Boosts Performance

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