JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When it comes to credit union branches take it back to the brand.
"There was a time when the marketing materials, merchandising was an afterthought," said John Bottaro, senior vice president/commercial and institutional program director of facilities and infrastructure at consulting firm Reynolds, Smith and Hills. "Now it's a more collaborative effort where the marketing executives are included in the process from the beginning to make sure the brand is an integral part of the design."
Given the growing number of credit unions switching to a community charter Bottaro adds it is even more important that the brand be reflected in the branch architecture and design while striking the right balance between their past and future.
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"More credit unions want their buildings to say something about who they are and before you even put pencil to paper you've got to do the research to understand the business strategy, demographics everything," said RS&H Senior Architect/Financial Facility Market Group Leader Jim Hawkes. "There's no cookbook or certain branch design that works for all–each credit union is very different in terms of goals and strategy so credit unions can't go into this process with a preconceived notion–let the research combined with strategy and vision dictate the branch direction."
From the endeavor to stand out from the competition a few distinct branching-out trends have emerged such as an uptick in retail environments. The shift away from the more traditional "institutional" feel has made way for interiors that redefine the banking experience.
"Credit unions are looking to create more interactive environments that emphasize the member experience so the branch becomes more than just a place where members go to put money in or take money out," said Hawkes. "The environment is more focused on building relationships so credit unions are viewed as partners in their members' financial future."
With more open floor plans comes the challenge of security.
"One of the things a lot of credit unions and really all financial institutions struggle with is providing great security without feeling like your are in a fortress," said Hawkes. "You don't want members to feel like they can't be trusted or that there is a perceived barrier between 'us and you'."
In addition to having more cameras with digital video so the storage of data is not as cumbersome many should reconsider the entrance control system more commonly referred to as the "man-trap". Here's how it works. Members pass through a set of double doors generally one at a time and are "scanned" for metal objects/weapons. If no weapons are detected members can then go through the second door into the branch. Once bulky and not necessarily aesthetically pleasing these units are now seamlessly blending into the interior design.
More credit unions are also rethinking the branch traffic flow away from directing members to typical teller lines towards retail consulting spaces. From dialogue towers and remote teller systems to a technology or knowledge center the idea is to create inviting spaces that encourage members to linger–giving staffers a chance to not only provide more personalized service, but also build more interactive relationships. Brand image consistency is key–if it isn't cost effective to retrofit existing branches credit unions should still be able to incorporate certain elements to maintain the same feel or image says Hawkes.
"It's evolved into a great middle ground between completely automated self-serve and face-to-face teller time," said Bottaro. "The true test of whether the planning and upfront research has been a success, at least for us, is if we are still able to deploy that prototype developed for our credit union client some five years later and still have the impact. Depending how the credit union has grown obviously minor modifications may have to be made but it should still effectively deliver the brand message."
RS&H has specialized in designing financial facilities firms for over 35 years and has offices in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia. –[email protected]
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