At Corporate and at branches, bank boosts Bucks

Last night on July 21, the Milwaukee Bucks won Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals, cinching their first league championship in 50 years by beating the Phoenix Suns, 4-2. North Shore Bank employees showed their support for the pro basketball team by wearing Bucks gear to work last Wednesday for Bucks Day.

And the celebration continues. “Awesome!” replied Shorewood personal banker Kenya Owens when asked about the vibe at her branch, describing the post-victory mood among customers and team members as “very excited.” “I keep hearing ‘Bucks in six!’” she said. “Great day in Shorewood.” Here are a few pictures from last week and this week.

Patel makes shopper’s day by buying groceries

McHenry branch manager Dee Patel paid for a member of the community’s groceries last week, as part of our ongoing Bank on Kindness initiative. “Her reaction was unbelievable!” Dee said. “She was telling every other person about it and making a huge deal. It was awesome to see the smile on her face and other customers asking me which bank I was from. It was such an amazing experience to represent North Shore Bank this way.” •••

New customer impressed by Hostettler’s service, tone
A very happy customer recently left these comments for customer care rep DJ Hostettler:

I am a new NSB customer and my first experiences have been stellar! I initially had trouble creating an online account, so I contacted your customer service via phone. The rep was awesome and my issue was resolved. Then I had additional trouble with one of your forms because it would not accept the fraction part of my street address. Your rep responded to the question I submitted via your contact form, and their suggestion worked perfectly. About a week later, I received an inquiry from that individual asking if my issue was resolved; I responded that it was and once again received a reply. Please know that it wasn’t just the prompt service that impressed me, but also the positive, upbeat, genuine tone of the personal conversation, as well as the emails. Thanks so much!

Nice job, DJ! •••

Make space for a larger idea of yourself

Don’t turn down an opportunity simply because it makes you nervous — you can do much more than you think. Make room for a larger definition of yourself.

Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:

I BELIEVE in my innate ability to meet the challenges that arise before me.

This meditation was adapted from A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life With Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright. How did it go for you? Share your thoughts and feelings in Shorelines and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!

If you’d like a daily email reminder to do one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” —Pat Ingelse, AVP and PMP •••

Contest will introduce customers to video tellers
We’ve added seven new video teller machines to our branch offerings in the past month, with two each at Franklin, Kenosha South, and Westgate, and one at Greendale. That means customers in those neighborhoods can drive up and bank with a real live person seven days a week, until 7 p.m.

To help get customers familiar with our video tellers, we are running a Cool Cash Instant Win Giveaway: Customers can stop by the branch to pick up an instant win ticket. The ticket must then be redeemed at a drive-up video teller machine, and the customer will win $5, $50, or $500 instantly! Every ticket is a winner.

Many departments have put in a lot of work on this rollout, including Information Systems, Facilities, Security, branch employees, and Branch Administration. “There are a ton of moving parts, so it’s been a true team effort,” marketing manager Mary Ott said. Thanks to everyone who has pitched in! •••

New Hires for July 22
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

Green Bay East universal banker Nathalie Baten is from Pennsylvania and moved to Green Bay six years ago. She previously worked as a supervisor at TJ Maxx. “I love traveling across the country, as well as to other countries!” Nathalie says. “My favorite place so far has been Puerto Rico. I went for the first time in 2018 and fell in love with the weather, food — love the ice cream — and night parties!”

Brookfield Square teller Karen Pofahl is from Oak Creek and previously worked as a manager at Culver’s in New Berlin. She is really good at trivia and learned to speak Romanian from the Pimsleur and Duolingo app. “I am a huge Marvel fan, and my favorite character is the Winter Soldier,” she says. “The actor who plays him, Sebastian Stan, is from Romania, so that’s why I decided to learn the langugage.” •••

Balzer’s son achieves Eagle rank

AVP and Wauwatosa branch manager Mary Rose Balzer’s son Josh had his Eagle Scout ceremony last weekend, after a 16-month delay due to COVID-19.

“He went for his board of review on March 1, 2020, and after that everything shut down,” she said. “We are very proud and glad to finally be able to celebrate his hard work.” Josh and his brothers belong to Boy Scout Troop 16 from the Potawatomi Area Council. Well done, Josh! •••