Let's lay out a scenario.
It's 3 AM. You have a serious stomach ache. You have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach
and....the other thing. You need a healthy dose of the pink stuff, and you won't be able to sleep without it. You have two choices. You could:
- Toss on some clothes, hop in the car and roll down to Wal-Mart and pickup a regular size bottle for $3.99. Let's say it'll take you about 35 minutes to get there and back, plus the cost of gas.
or
- Run down the street to the 7-11 and buy a "convenience store size" for $6.50. This will take you under 10 minutes.
Which do you choose? While you're thinking about it, let me drop this little nugget of awesome on you: Convenience will almost always trump quality.
While I'm dropping nuggets (so to speak), allow me to toss something else out there: I still have an account with a bank. I'll even go one step further: I couldn't function if I only had an account with a credit union.
Last week on Why Gen Y live, Jessica Wade of ORNL Federal Credit Union and I were discussing the importance of establishing a strong online presence when it comes to not only social media but online banking.
When its time to put new carpet in the lobby of the credit union, its a top priority. But when the time comes to upgrade the credit union's website - its "online lobby" it takes meetings, fund allocation and lots of time.
Is your credit union making it convenient to be a member? I know that my credit union offers better interest rates and better customer service (quality), but its not convenient for me to move my membership there 100% from my bank.
I say this as someone who fully understands the benefits of credit unions, and works intimately within the credit union system. If I'm frustrated with it, imagine how then Gen Y-ers in your membership feel?
My (and many of the other young people I interact with daily) main frustration are things like archaic and confusing online banking systems, which are, at best, difficult to maneuver and at worst, a nightmare compared to what banks are offering.
In the age of the Internet, some people visit their local branches maybe once or twice in a few months, and this sort of behavior makes having a robust online system all the more important. Here's a quick rundown of things that may be making the convenience of your online banking less than stellar:
- Using account numbers as user names with no way to change them
- Instead of having "Checking" or "Saving" as the name of the account online, using the name "123748493742D8934 CH"
- Compatability with only Internet Explorer and/or Netscape
- Confusing dropdown boxes
- Difficult to use interface with 2001-era page layout
The bottom line is, don't make your members have to choose between quality and convenience. Because at the end of the day, they'll pay money for what makes their lives easier.
Have anything to add to the convo? Do you think there are reasons these features haven't been upgraded? Comment below, or follow me on twitter @deandresays.
DeAndré