A True Texas Community Banker: In Your Own Words Winners
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Bertha McDowellFirst Victoria National Bank
I always knew our bank was different from the other, larger banks, but the words friendly, community-minded, etc., while they were certainly true about our bank, they did not fully describe what I knew it was. It was much more than that; it was a culture. A culture of caring, outreaching individuals all committed to making life better, not only for themselves and their families, but for all of those people in our communities who needed us.
My proudest moment as a community banker came very unexpectedly when I was a guest speaker at a meeting of our Board of Directors. I was called in to give some reports showing what a new MCIF system we purchased could do. To show the Board how it could “household” information, I broke the customer base into segments showing the top 5%, 10%, etc. deposit households, on down to the bottom 5% and 10%, and what these customers looked like. After I finished my presentation, the board members raised a concern that I will never forget. They asked if we had any intention of treating customers differently based on where they were on that chart. They went on to say that they (the Board) wanted to make sure that we didn’t bank customers just for what they could do for us, but that we were there to fill the needs of the community of individuals in our markets. They wanted all persons to be treated equally, regardless of what others might consider “status”. I knew at that moment that, as long as they would have me, I would be here as an employee for the rest of my working life, and forever as a customer.
To me, that is community banking at its ultimate, from the very top on down.
Sam Baker
First Bank of Conroe, NA
From time to time, we have an opportunity as bankers to positively impact the lives of our customers and others associated with them. It is sometimes ironic as to how this comes about, but I am pleased to relay the following story:
I was at a Country Club Invitational this past weekend, and on Saturday was sitting in my golf cart when a stranger jumped in the passenger seat and introduced himself. He asked, “Aren’t you the president of First Bank of Conroe?” I shook his hand and replied yes. He then said, “I want to tell you what your bank has done.” ( After this my fellow banker who was standing next to me on my side of the cart mumbled “Uh Oh”, and began wandering away. He obviously thought there was going to be some kind of criticism, and he did not want to help face the heat).
I asked the man to proceed, and he said, “Your bank saved my church, and I wanted you to know.” “Your bank worked with us to reduce our note payment, and spent a great deal of time with our bookkeepers to correct a faulty accounting system.” Our congregation had become worried and some were looking for new church homes, but thanks to your bank, we have a new life.” “This past Sunday, our service was packed, and our Pastor told everyone in the service what your bank had done.” “ It was the subject of the pastoral prayer.”
He then squeezed my shoulder, and I noticed he was literally crying. Needless to say, I could barely respond, except to thank him and say I would pass this on.
What is really interesting about this situation is we were dealing with a potential problem credit that was heading the wrong way. Restructuring the credit in the beginning was never about how it would help the congregation, but more about how it would keep us from having another problem loan. It’s very rewarding to know that by doing your job, you have done much more to help people than you ever realized you could.
First Bank of Conroe, NA
From time to time, we have an opportunity as bankers to positively impact the lives of our customers and others associated with them. It is sometimes ironic as to how this comes about, but I am pleased to relay the following story:
I was at a Country Club Invitational this past weekend, and on Saturday was sitting in my golf cart when a stranger jumped in the passenger seat and introduced himself. He asked, “Aren’t you the president of First Bank of Conroe?” I shook his hand and replied yes. He then said, “I want to tell you what your bank has done.” ( After this my fellow banker who was standing next to me on my side of the cart mumbled “Uh Oh”, and began wandering away. He obviously thought there was going to be some kind of criticism, and he did not want to help face the heat).
I asked the man to proceed, and he said, “Your bank saved my church, and I wanted you to know.” “Your bank worked with us to reduce our note payment, and spent a great deal of time with our bookkeepers to correct a faulty accounting system.” Our congregation had become worried and some were looking for new church homes, but thanks to your bank, we have a new life.” “This past Sunday, our service was packed, and our Pastor told everyone in the service what your bank had done.” “ It was the subject of the pastoral prayer.”
He then squeezed my shoulder, and I noticed he was literally crying. Needless to say, I could barely respond, except to thank him and say I would pass this on.
What is really interesting about this situation is we were dealing with a potential problem credit that was heading the wrong way. Restructuring the credit in the beginning was never about how it would help the congregation, but more about how it would keep us from having another problem loan. It’s very rewarding to know that by doing your job, you have done much more to help people than you ever realized you could.
Alina Gonzalez of LoweryBank in Sugarland, TX
This is my story of how I helped a customer or small business owner's "happily ever after" come true.
Last fall, shortly after our branch closed its lobby doors for the day, we received a frantic call from one or our customers wanting to come into the banking center. The female caller was so upset and distraught that our branch employee could barely understand what the customer needed. She immediately referred he caller to me. On the other end of the call was one of our customers, a fairly new client who had opened a Certificate of Deposit with our bank approximately six months prior. This customer calmly but quickly explained his and his wife's concern. They needed to come into one of their banks and withdraw proceeds from an account immediately because they had just been notified that a "baby" was available to them for adoption in Dallas and they needed to leave immediately the next morning to take care of everything, pay for the adoption, and pick up their new baby girl. This wonderfully sweet couple had been trying to adopt their first child for quite some time and had "saved" money for this adoption in one of the larger commercial banks. They had almost given up on ever receiving the call that they so yearned for, that apparently quite some time had elapsed from when they first opened this account at the mega bank and now that bank was telling them that they were unable to withdraw their funds immediately because the account had gone dormant.
So here they were, overjoyed at the news they had received but terrified that they were unable to access their money, when they remembered the Certificate they had opened at our bank just a short six months before. They explained to me that they understood our bank lobby was already closed but wondered if there was any way that I could assist them. I immediately asked them, "How long will it take you to get here? I'll wait." The ecstatic couple arrived in my office within the half hour with the wife still visibly moved with emotion. We were able to withdraw the funds they needed by a cashier's check payable to the adoption agency, and get them on their way. The grateful couple thanked us continuously for coming to their rescue and for going above and beyond the normal course of business.
Needless to say, they picked up their baby girl and their family is now complete and living "happily ever after." We are extremely proud that we were able to assist them during such an important time in their lives. They remain loyal customers, and we look forward to the day they bring their new addition into our bank to open her first "savings" account.
This is my story of how I helped a customer or small business owner's "happily ever after" come true.
Last fall, shortly after our branch closed its lobby doors for the day, we received a frantic call from one or our customers wanting to come into the banking center. The female caller was so upset and distraught that our branch employee could barely understand what the customer needed. She immediately referred he caller to me. On the other end of the call was one of our customers, a fairly new client who had opened a Certificate of Deposit with our bank approximately six months prior. This customer calmly but quickly explained his and his wife's concern. They needed to come into one of their banks and withdraw proceeds from an account immediately because they had just been notified that a "baby" was available to them for adoption in Dallas and they needed to leave immediately the next morning to take care of everything, pay for the adoption, and pick up their new baby girl. This wonderfully sweet couple had been trying to adopt their first child for quite some time and had "saved" money for this adoption in one of the larger commercial banks. They had almost given up on ever receiving the call that they so yearned for, that apparently quite some time had elapsed from when they first opened this account at the mega bank and now that bank was telling them that they were unable to withdraw their funds immediately because the account had gone dormant.
So here they were, overjoyed at the news they had received but terrified that they were unable to access their money, when they remembered the Certificate they had opened at our bank just a short six months before. They explained to me that they understood our bank lobby was already closed but wondered if there was any way that I could assist them. I immediately asked them, "How long will it take you to get here? I'll wait." The ecstatic couple arrived in my office within the half hour with the wife still visibly moved with emotion. We were able to withdraw the funds they needed by a cashier's check payable to the adoption agency, and get them on their way. The grateful couple thanked us continuously for coming to their rescue and for going above and beyond the normal course of business.
Needless to say, they picked up their baby girl and their family is now complete and living "happily ever after." We are extremely proud that we were able to assist them during such an important time in their lives. They remain loyal customers, and we look forward to the day they bring their new addition into our bank to open her first "savings" account.