Independent Banker - November 2022 - 23

Most are outside in the drive-thrus,
but its new Middleton bank, which is
situated in a walking community, has
an ITM in the entry vestibule that's
accessible after hours.
" These can be used as ATMs but
also offer video banker service, "
Versluys says. " We do thousands of
video banker transactions every year.
Clients appreciate the longer hours
and the convenience of not needing to
leave their cars but still being able to
get service with a personal touch. "
More VTMs to benefit customers
Gorham Savings Bank in Gorham,
Maine, has also found that upgrading
its teller machines has enhanced
customers' banking experience. By
expanding its video teller machine
(VTM) fleet, it efficiently provides
extended banking hours to customers.
" We do thousands of video banker
transactions every year. Clients appreciate
the longer hours and the convenience of not
needing to leave their cars but still being able
to get service with a personal touch. "
-JEFF VERSLUYS, ONE COMMUNITY BANK
" Every branch location now has a
VTM, and we have added a terminal
at a coffee shop in a community
where we don't have a branch, to add
convenience for our customers, " says
Dan Hancock, chief deposit officer.
The $1.5 billion-asset community
bank piloted its VTM initiative
several years ago, and it has
expanded significantly over the
Retail banking of the future
Both One Community Bank (OCB) in Oregon, Wis., and Gorham
Savings Bank in Gorham, Maine, have done a lot to expand their retail
banking efforts, but they also have plans for the future.
" In keeping with our vision, which is to be 'the Best Billion-Dollar
Bank in the World,' we must keep innovating to best serve our clients, "
says Jeff Versluys, executive vice president and chief retail officer for
OCB. " That means we're looking at things like expanding the use of
ITMs and enhancements to our core banking systems, including our
online and mobile platforms. We want to continually make our clientfacing
systems easier to use and feature-rich. "
OCB is a big believer in developing the digital technologies that will
serve its clients, but it also believes physical locations matter. " Earlier
this year, we opened a new branch in Middleton, Wis., " Versluys says.
" We are actively looking at additional communities in Dane County
and hope to have another new bank to open in 2023. In the future, we
also will consider expanding into other parts of the state. "
For Gorham Savings Bank, one area of future interest is new
partnerships. " We are continuing to explore relationships with
fintechs, especially as it relates to fraud prevention and providing
more value to our customers, " says chief deposit officer Dan Hancock.
past year.
" The primary objective was
to extend banking hours for our
customers, " Hancock says. " Our
VTMs are open from 7:30 a.m. until
6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and
the addition of the offsite terminal
has helped to fill in a gap in our
service area, giving our customers
added convenience. "
By hiring a digital engagement
specialist to help customers make
the best use of mobile and digital
services, Gorham Savings has
increased the use of these products.
Overall, customer reaction to the
community bank's many initiatives
has been positive. " We have seen
an increase in mobile and digital
usage, like other banks, " Hancock
says, " but these initiatives have
helped expand that engagement
from balance inquiries and funds
transfers to more complex needs
like money management and
managing debit card security.
" In addition, " he continues, " our
offsite VTM has become one of our
busiest terminals, so customers
have appreciated being able to
conduct their banking with a video
teller instead of driving to a branch,
independentbanker.org Q 23
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Independent Banker - November 2022

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