District manager Cristen Baumann got a great email from a customer about Fox Point branch manager Christen Meyer:

Christen Meyer

This morning I had a concern regarding automatic withdrawals from my checking account. I called the Fox Point branch where we usually bank and expected to be transferred to a teller. I was greeted by Christen, who was immediately professional, friendly, and helpful. In the course of the conversation, I asked a question about our home equity loan as well. She again shared some excellent strategies and suggestions to make me feel more comfortable and to perhaps even save some money in converting our loan so that it had a fixed rate rather than variable, and also checked to see if we could increase our line of credit to provide us with some peace of mind for upcoming expenses. We talked about 401k plans, retirement strategies, saving, home equity, and most of all, just about how scary money management can seem when you aren’t an expert.

Christen was not just professional, friendly, and helpful, she was therapeutic. My anxiety level decreased measurably after the conversation, and I feel like it opened avenues I had never thought to explore. I wanted to share how helpful Christen was for me, and I wanted to thank you for hiring and supporting employees that are still able to provide that one-on-one relationship that barely exists in banking today. It honestly made a world of difference to me today.

Christen says she just listened to understand. “By sitting back and letting the customer talk, I was able to identify the cues and clues she gave me throughout our conversation and understand what her true concerns were by listening to the pitch in her voice. I was able to pick up on things like ‘My husband just retired,’ ‘We are living off of one income,’ and ‘I am trying to organize my finances.’ After identifying these cues, knowing the products and services we offer allowed me to land in the life of the customer.”

She also shared this update: “I have spoken to the customers and confirmed they will be coming in to increase their HELOC. This will give them peace of mind should an extreme emergency arise; they will not have to leverage their liquid cash or investments. They will also be meeting with investment consultant Jeff Eichel to discuss their retirement goals.”