Heather Anderson Other than a mysterious, loud crashing noise that woke me up at 3 a.m., this morning started out like any other. I got up early, edited some copy, promoted our top stories on social media, answered emails, got my son's school lunch ready and waited for him to wake up.

Like always, at a quarter to eight, we were locked and loaded in the car, ready for summer school drop off.

And then I discovered the source of the mystery noise: A spring had popped on my garage door. For the first time since I bought my home, the door didn't open.

Not only was my morning routine was disrupted, I also faced a number of unknowns. How would I get the door open? Once open, how could I keep it open so I could get the car out? How much would it cost to repair or replace?

I'm not the kind of person who requires a lot of consistency. Rather, I like change. I crave it.

But even I like to know the rules of the game.

We probably all remember cognitive dissonance theory from high school or college psychology class. The basic idea is that people experience mental stress or discomfort when confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs.

Anyone who works in a credit union call center knows all too well the effect inconsistency has on members. When your mobile banking system is down or a branch is unexpectedly closed, members usually first experience confusion and then anger.

That's exactly what happened to me when the garage door didn't open as expected. What was wrong? (confusion) How in the heck am I going to get the car out, get this kid to school, complete my weekly column on time and pay for repair or replacement? (anger)

Credit unions face the human need for consistency when competing with big banks for financial services. Most people know they probably won't receive top notch service from Bank of America or Wells Fargo. But at least they know what to expect. There will be a branch in their neighborhood and an ATM close by. They will have access to all the checking, savings and loan products they might need. They can access their account using mobile banking. They will receive a debit card the day they open the account.

The credit union on the corner? Who knows what you might find there. Do credit unions offer mobile banking? Do they participate in a shared ATM or branch network? Do they offer mortgages? Some do and some don't.

McDonalds and Southwest Airlines built empires on setting basic rules of consistency and sticking with them. Are the hamburgers at McDonalds the best tasting in the business? Does Southwest provide the most luxurious air travel experience? No. Not by a longshot. But at least people know what to expect.

To compete, credit unions must put forth extra effort to provide the most consistent experience possible. We live in an era of disruption. The rules of the game change more rapidly than ever. But that human need for consistency remains.

This week's news that 7-Eleven replaced existing credit union ATM contracts with service from a sister company – a bank – presented a new challenge for credit unions. For years, business development officers have used this benefit to convince members to switch their checking accounts from big banks. No, the credit union isn't Bank of America with an ATM on every corner. But members could expect that most 7-Eleven locations have a fee-free ATM option they can use.

The dismissive reaction from our industry's ATM networks concerned me. Yes, they said, we knew this was coming.

But did credit unions? Judging by the page views our breaking news item received, they did not. And the typical human reaction to inconsistency was apparent in the comments I received on my Facebook post promoting the story. My business development friends were shocked. I'm guessing they were probably a little angry about it, too.

As a manager, I also know how a lack of consistency affects my employees. If I fail to correct an employee's misstep the first time, or god forbid, a second time, he or she would be rightly confused and angry when I dress him or her down the third time for not following the rules.

Change is unavoidable. However, in business and in life, we must strive to provide as much consistency as possible.

If we don't, claims of providing superior service fall upon deaf ears, and we fail as leaders and an industry.

Instant Insights /

The Need for Consistency in an Era of Disruption

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