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From handing out chocolate with every deposit to the 40 hours of community service every employee serves each year, Umpqua Bank is known for treating their customers more like neighbors than numbers. But it’s not just about the warm and fuzzy stuff, they’ve also grown by over $11.6 billion in assets in six years and have been one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies To Work For seven years in a row.
Here’s how Umpqua Bank does it:
1. Ask about what’s good here
2. Send them neighborly gifts
3. Have them over
4. Make hospitality a priority
1. Ask about what’s good here
Photo thanks to American Banker Magazine.
Want to treat your customers more like neighbors? Think about the conversations you have when you move somewhere new. For example, “What’s good here?” is a fantastic place to start. When Umpqua Bank opened a new location in San Francisco, they asked people to tweet what businesses were best in the city and broadcasted their answers by including them on a sign outside their new location. Umpqua tapped into community pride, did something nice for local businesses, and got to know their customers better all at once. That’s way better than the usual “coming soon” sign. (What kind of neighbor does that?)
2. Send them neighborly gifts
Photo thanks to Market Insights Insider.
When most banks open a new branch, they’ll send nearby houses direct mail announcements, but Umpqua Bank sends gifts instead. They do “doorstep drops,” leaving presents like a rosemary plant or everything you need to make a spaghetti dinner. That’s the kind of thoughtful stuff you might get at a housewarming party, not a business’ grand opening. If you want your customers to think of you as a trusted neighbor (and not just another business), these little details matter.
3. Have them over
Photo thanks to Market Watch.
Online and mobile banking have replaced a lot of the personal connections customers make face-to-face with their bank’s employees. So how does Umpqua get them back inside their locations? They host community events. In the past, they’ve held yoga classes, Oktoberfest celebrations, and children’s plays. These have nothing to do with banking — but everything to do with Umpqua’s goal: making people feel at home in their local branches.
4. Make hospitality a priority
Photo thanks to Phinney Wood.
Each of Umpqua’s staff is trained by The Ritz Carlton Hotel Co., a business known for their incredible customer service. Plus, if you want to talk to the president of the bank, you just have to push one button on a special phone in their lobby. Great customer service makes each of their stores feel more welcoming and more accessible — the kinds of things that make you feel like a neighbor (and rave about a business).
