DeluxeSelectT turns check ordering process into retail shopping experience

CHICAGO – Call it "check ordering meets Target stores." Deluxe Corp. has designed its new turnkey DeluxeSelectT program to make the check order and reorder process more of a pleasant retail experience for checking account holders while enhancing revenue and member satisfaction for credit unions and other participating financials. Michael Baum, director of customer development for Deluxe, said the company `wants to turn the check order and reorder processes into an experience," instead of it being a "non-event and necessary utility for having a checking account" that the company's market research showed respondents perceive it as being. Two years worth of extensive research conducted by Deluxe on consumer buying behavior of checks and check products indicated that when it comes to ordering checks, it's all about choice for consumers and financial institutions making consumers aware they have a choice in check styles and designs. Among the research findings, 70% of consumers prefer having some sort of a design on their checks, but only 20% of them buy checks that have a design. Why? Because, said Baum, they're not aware that they have choices when they open a checking account or reorder checks. "DeluxeSelect is about merchandising checks and check products so members are aware of the choices they can have when they make their selection. If they're more aware of the choices, they'll purchase a higher number of checks with a particular design which is good for the member and the credit union," said Baum. He noted that the company's research indicated that DeluxeSelect can potentially increase a financial's check order revenue by up to 50% per order. The idea, said Baum, is for consumers to treat checks just as they would any other retail product. "Financials have to give checks and check design options visibility," he said. DeluxeSelect is available in two tiers – DeluxeSelect Basic and DeluxeSelect Plus. "The tier a credit union chooses depends on their comfort level," said Baum. DeluxeSelect Basic addresses the phone, voice response unit (VRU) and Web site of a credit union. In addition to having the credit union add a prompt in its VRU system that directs a member to Deluxe, the credit union would integrate Deluxe's check ordering Web site onto the CU's Web site. In addition, a CU choosing this tier would allow Deluxe to use the top of each check box to publish Deluxe's "1-800-Deluxe" phone number and Web site address. The DeluxeSelect Plus tier includes all of the features of the Basic tier, plus additional collateral merchandising material for the credit union to use in its lobby, newsletter and statement stuffer that promote the check design options the credit union offers. "By allowing financial institutions to rely more on Deluxe for customer service, support, sales and product knowledge, DeluxeSelect transfers the cost of a credit union doing this to Deluxe because the company does more of the work, and that means more revenue for the credit union," said Baum. -