Care Can Make All the Difference in Banking.
A supportive banking relationship helped Terrance overcome financial challenges, rebuild trust, and achieve goals he once thought were out of reach.
When Terrance first stopped by Affinity Plus a little more than 3 years ago, he wasn’t planning on the visit changing his financial life.
He and a friend went to the Midway branch in St. Paul, and as he watched how the employees interacted with his friend, he knew it was different than how he’d been treated at his bank.
“I came to Affinity Plus with a friend, and I was overwhelmed like wow, maybe I can get some help here,” Terrance said. “I felt comfortable asking the necessary questions I needed to ask to get where I needed to go, financially.”
Terrance said he was in a tough spot at the time, and the employees at Affinity Plus helped put him at ease so he could actually do the work necessary to change his life.
And by following through on the plan they created, Terrance was able to rebuild his credit, pay for loans, refinance his truck, and take care of other important financial aspects of his life.
“My life was unraveling and I needed guidance,” he said. “When I came here, the fear and distrust that I had before (for banking) started being wiped away because of the way I was treated.”
He became a member and started working with the teams at Midway and other branches, and each time he entered an Affinity Plus, Terrance found a group of people who genuinely cared about his situation.
“I felt welcomed and respected,” Terrance said. “Every branch I was able to get the help I needed. I got more comfortable asking questions. It made me say to myself, that I believe and I can do it.”
Beatriz, manager at the Midway branch and part of the team who worked with Terrance, said building relationships is an essential part of successful banking, because people need to feel comfortable enough to be honest about their goals and their questions.
A banking relationship built on mutual respect and dignity can go far, she said, even lasting a lifetime.
“You have to build trust and rapport with that member or potential member,” Beatriz said. “We don’t know what they’re coming in the door with. Affinity Plus sees the bigger picture, treating you just like you would want to be treated.”
Building these successful relationships starts with the understanding that everyone is human, and that money is often emotional.
We never know what’s going on in someone’s life, Beatriz said, but we can always offer to learn.
“I always tell whoever comes through my door to take a deep breath. Sometimes our members come in with such heavy hearts and heavy burdens that they don’t understand that we are here to listen,” she said. “Everyone’s life needs something different – so we’re going to meet you right where you need us.”
Learn more about how Affinity Plus membership can work for you!