Owner vs. Member vs. Customer. What do your members want?
I was over at CUSkeptic’s site. He picked up the mantle of how you address the people who give you money and what they would choose to be called if THEY had the choice.
Here is my opinion.
Being a member makes me feel like something is required of me. I need to attend meetings or donate money. It requires work on my part. I am a member of a great charity. I provide marketing advice and leadership in completing the goals that we set for our cause. I have to attend meetings. I give money. I give time to this. I do this because I am a member of this cause. I believe in it, so it is worth that effort. Same thing with a gym membership. I give my money for the chance to use the equipment and services. I am sure my wife would prefer that I actually gave some time to the gym to go along with my money. Membership is cumbersome.
Being an owner requires a level of responsibility. I own a few businesses and each of them can be a headache. When things go wrong, I have to either shoulder all the responsibility myself or share it with my partners. The buck stops with the owner. Employees can quit. They can jump ship when things look bad. Owners are stuck with the mess. My employees treat our customers better than they treat me (as it should be) which bring me to my point.
A customer shares no burden or responsibility. They exist to be served. Their only expectation is quality service and treatment. I prefer to be a customer over an owner or a member. As a customer I can complain. I have a reasonable expectation of treatment. Nothing is required of me. I have none of these freedoms as an owner or member. Well at least not to the extent that a customer has.
I want to be treated like a customer. No, I want to be treated like a VALUED customer. I tell my employees that the customer is the boss. The customer tells the owner what to do. Customers get all the perks and priveledges. When I go to Costco, I have to pay a membership fee. But when I go to the return counter, I am treated like a customer. The casheir smiles, listens to my gripes and tells me “No problem, sign this and we will take your return and give you a refund. Ahhhhhhhhhhh Custmer Service!
Wants vs. Needs
I thought about making this a whole separate post. Instead I will make it short. The mantra seems to be “Give the customer what they need and they will tell their friends and family. Thats how you build membership!”. I say B.S.!
Give the Customer/Member/Owner what they need and they will be served. Give them what thhey WANT and they will become advocates. When was the last time you were bragging to your friends about toilet paper? You need toilet paper, but you don’t WANT it. If people WANTED toilet paper there would be whole stores devoted to nothing but the best toilet paper out there. People WANT sexy lingerie. People WANT fancy and expensive clothes. That’s why these specialy stores exist. Thats why they do so well. People don’t NEED to eat out, they WANT to. Restaurants count on selling to the wants.
The next time a board member (or God forbid, your CEO) goes on about serving the members needs, ask them about the member’s WANTS. Do you wear anything with a name brand on it? You can shop at Wal-Mart and have your need to cover your body fulfilled. Do you carry a purse or a canvas sack with a strap? Do you ride the bus to work or drive a car?
I am more likely to give my money and time to someone who caters to my wants. I can get my needs fulfilled anywhere. But it takes someone special to cater to my wants. And don’t we really just want our wants fulfilled? Cater to their wants and they will come.
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Comments
My bet is that most CU Commies (customer/owner/members) could care less what you call them, as long as you don’t screw up their accounts, offer great service, and do what’s right by them.
CU Commies… I’m going to remember that one. 
Ron, I agree. The point I was trying to make is that no matter what you call them - treat them like a VALUED customer. Like their money is important to you. Without them, the doors will close.
As long as we keep that in mind - I think everyone will be happy.
I think my post turned into a rant. Yesterday was a crazy day!
- Just another CU Commie (I like it too - I might make a t-shirt with that on it.)
Tony, I agree with you. I would rather be called a customer.
Like I read in CU Skeptic’s blog, as member charters for CUs get wider and wider, it seems like people using CUs are more like regular bank customers than “members.” If everyone in the community is a member, what is a member? There is nothing that defines them as being different from someone else.
This carries over especially into the marketing/advertising for CUs. If one of the perks of giving your money to a CU is that you are a member, what does that mean? It’s not enough just to “be” a member. It has to be worth the effort.
I am glad that people are picking up what I am laying down.
There is no customer service without a customer. But don’t forget to cater to their wants. That keeps you competitive. Mike, thanks for playing along with us!
@Jeff
YES! Exactly right! It is not enough to fulfill your members needs. You have to give them what they want! Ask them and they will tell you what they want. If they wont tell you, look at what other popular companies that do what you do are doing.
WaMu makes banking comfortable and non-intimidating
Mint.com gives you access to ALL your accounts at a glance and provides free budgeting tools.
BankRate lets you make sure that your card is the right card for you
Umpqua is fun and targets their customers wants - easy and helpful service
Here is a list of things that I am waiting for credit unions to do
Business banking services with someone to help you start a business (come on, it is a checklist folks - point stay-at-home moms in the right direction)
H&R Block style tax file preparation (if H&R can do it, why can’t we? Have it be a free service to people who will put their return in a 12-month CD or something)
Budget Service Representatives - People who look at your spending habits and help you save money (this will force your members to use your cards right?)
Home Planning Services - Help your members save up to buy a home. Find out what they qualify for and what they want then devise a program to put money into an interest bearing account until they can afford a home or meet the requitrements.
These are your customers and these are things they want. They are already buying and doing these things somewhere else.
Whatever, if it is a member, it should be excellent ‘member service’, the term needs to apply throughout the organization. So many don’t realize that!
@Suzanne - Unfortunately I have been getting pretty poor “Member Service” lately.
Personally, and this comes from having businesses that rely on “Customers”, I think it is becaue tellers and MSRs dont really take to heart that members pay their salaries.
When my employees take cash and put it into the register (and a little into their tip jar) there is an instant connection. It is easier to motivate an employee when there is a dirrect connection between good service and their ability to pay their rent.
I usually get great service at restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, the bakery and pretty much everywhere that I am a customer. Lately I only get poor service where I am a member.
It was only a personal observation based on annecdotal evidence
Hi Tony!
Thanks for this post - great stuff! The credit unions that really stand out for me are the ones that make sure you’re taken care of at a stressful time. The folks who, when you are freaking out, handle it for you.
Is that in your view an example of want vs. need?
Jeff