Bendigo Community Bank mobile lender in Canberra, Peter Grady. Photo: Region Media.
With heightened public attention and increased regulatory pressure on business practices in Australia, there has never been a more important time to build strong customer relationships. As a result, more organisations are starting to think of their customers as assets that should be nurtured. As well they should, customers are voting with their feet and in the case of banks, with their money.
A success story in the current climate is Bendigo Bank, recently ranked the third best brand for customer experience in the country, behind only Singapore Airlines and RACQ Insurance. Bendigo Bank topped the list of banks in the 2019 KPMG Customer Experience Excellence Report. None of the ‘big four’ (Westpac, Commonwealth, NAB, ANZ) made the top 50.
Bendigo Community Bank mobile lender Peter Grady was not surprised how high Bendigo Bank ranked.
“It all starts with our name: we are a community bank. We are locals. We work in our local community and people are front and centre in all that we do,” Peter said.
“Bendigo is different from the big banks. We put back into the community. It’s got a good atmosphere and the staff are really lovely to work with. Here, it is all about looking after people.”
Peter speaks from experience. He worked for a big bank for 25 years before moving to the Canberra Community Bank Group.
“I had enough of working in a big bank environment and coming to Bendigo was exactly what I was looking for. The Group has a completely different approach to banking and we are not under pressure to meet horrendous targets,” Peter said.
As a mobile lender for Canberra Community Bank Group, Peter floats between the group’s Bendigo Community Bank branches.
“I enjoy getting to know our customers. I get to chat with them. It is much more personal and relaxed. As a result, our customers walk out from a meeting with answers, and feel like they have been listened to.”
With a locally based board, Peter does not have to go to head office and says that helps him to respond to customers needs much more quickly.
“Bendigo Bank offers more flexibility than traditional banks. There are no hard and fast rules so we can tailor products to match what people need, rather than pushing people towards products that don’t quite fit. I think our flexibilty is key to customer satisfaction. We can go outside normal parameters, like offering offset accounts on fixed loans. It is the little things that make all the difference,” Peter explained.
Without the pressure of big targets to meet, Peter says Canberra Community Bank Group’s lenders can do the right thing by their customers.
“I am always conscious of doing what is best for my customers; I don’t let people get into trouble. I take the time to ask people about their plans for the future and I offer some guidance and perhaps give them some ideas about what they can afford. If people are not quite ready, rather than turn them away, I help them work out a structured plan so that they can come back in 6 to 12 months ready to go.”
To chat with Peter about a loan through Canberra Community Bank Group, give him a call on 0431 993 938 or at the Curtin branch on 02 6260 5140.
Original Article published by Karyn Starmer on The RiotACT.
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