BELLEVUE, Wash. & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, First Tech Federal Credit Union opened its 40th branch at Bellevue City Center, 500 108th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, Washington. Driven by First Tech’s commitment to being a collaborative financial partner for its members, First Tech’s Bellevue City Center branch is the credit union’s first location to integrate this commitment into the physical branch design. First Tech Bellevue City Center offers all the same banking, borrowing, investment and insurance services as its other branches, but the new design reflects First Tech’s dedication to partner with its members and champion their financial futures.
“We’re driven to put our members’ first,” said Stephen Owen, First Tech’s chief retail and marketing officer. “To be a true partner, we believe we must transform from a servicing environment into a stronger consultative environment where we’re collaborating with our members, determining their needs and recommending solutions that help them move forward financially.”
While First Tech is implementing this consultative approach institution-wide, the Bellevue City Center branch is the first location to integrate this new experience into the physical branch design.
“The most notable difference in the Bellevue branch design is that we’ve replaced the traditional teller row and new accounts desk environment with a central Relationship Center,” said Brad Calhoun, vice president, retail branches. “The Relationship Center is where our members and reps can grab a comfortable couch or stool together and conduct face-to-face conversations or transactions in a comfortable, collaborative, flexible environment. We’ve armed our financial reps with mobile technology that allow them to move with our members around the branch versus making our members come to us.”
The second key difference is the addition of four private Member Suites. Calhoun reports that First Tech members are increasingly managing routine transactions online and are more often visiting branches to discuss complex financial needs, such as home loans or investment portfolios.
“Members want to meet with financial experts who can help them understand their options and evaluate the best decision for their financial situation,” said Calhoun. “But, they also want to ensure their privacy with these more complex financial needs, and the private Member Suites offer just that.”
Before retrofitting existing branches or introducing this new design into the planned San Jose, California, location, First Tech will closely monitor member feedback about the new branch design. “Ultimately, our members will help us evaluate whether this new branch design meets their evolving needs,” said Calhoun. “We’re excited to hear how members embrace this new concept and help us continue to evolve and exceed their expectations.”
About First Tech Federal Credit Union
First Tech Federal Credit Union is a $6.5 billion institution headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. It is the nation’s premier credit union serving the world’s leading technology-oriented companies and their employees, including HP, Microsoft, Agilent, Intel, CISCO, Amazon, Nike, CH2M Hill, Intuit, Google and more. First Tech is recognized as the industry catalyst for delivering effortless banking experiences to its 370,000 members through its 40 branch locations, more than 5,000 CO-OP Branch locations, 30,000 CO-OP Network ATMs and 286,000 ATMs nationwide. First Tech offers a full range of banking services, including traditional banking, mortgage, financial planning and insurance services. For more information, visit firsttechfed.com.
