October 6, 2012 is the day I stopped visiting a credit union branch. Not out of protest—out of progress. Remote deposit capture was my gateway. Since then I’ve opened and managed business accounts, worked with overseas clients and interests, and even financed a construction loan in another state…all without stepping into a lobby. Odd plot twist: my loyalty to my credit union didn’t decline—it skyrocketed. Digital convenience didn’t replace my relationship; it reinforced it. And yet, as a strategic advisor who lives and breathes the 10XCU approach, I’ll be the first to say: branches still matter. They just matter differently.
The new job description of the branch
In a 10XCU model, you don’t debate “branch vs. digital.” You weaponize both. The branch is no longer the “transaction factory.” That role belongs to digital—24/7, zero friction, and relentlessly consistent. The branch is now your acquisition engine, establishment space, troubleshooting center, and conversation studio:
- Acquisition: People still convert when they feel trust. A modern branch—high-visibility, high-credibility, and high-human—reduces perceived risk for big moments (new membership, new mortgage, business banking switchovers).
- Establishment: Think onboarding that feels like a concierge experience: fast KYC, instant digital enrollment, first-90-day action plans, and a “welcome to your money team” pitch.
- Troubleshooting: Not every knot unties with a chatbot. Complex problems and high-emotion moments are best handled face-to-face by empowered pros.
- Conversation studio: The branch becomes the set for deeper financial dialogue—life events, business expansions, retirement pivots—where advice beats “service” every time.
A 10XCU playbook: pair power with purpose
The 10XCU lens pushes us to connect strategy → behavior → measurable outcomes. Here’s how to stack the deck:
1) Digital is default
Make digital the easiest, most complete, most obvious path for everyday banking. Treat completion rates as a core KPI: account openings finished in one session, digital loan apps completed without staff intervention, RDC adoption, card-on-file provisioning, P2P usage, and bill pay stickiness. If completion isn’t climbing, the experience still has friction.
Key Predictive Insight (KPI): Digital onboarding completion rate within 15 minutes.
Target: 80%+ within six months of launch.
Why it matters: Early completion predicts long-term activation, depth, and look-to-book.
2) Branch as stage
Re-design space for conversation, not counters. Think smaller footprints with advice pods, event zones, and video co-browse stations. Use appointment routing to match expertise: small business, mortgage, retirement, credit building. Measure time-to-resolution for complex issues and advice-to-product conversion (e.g., a credit health consult leading to a refi, secured card, or debt consolidation).
KPI: Advice→Action conversion within 30 days.
Target: 35%+ (tracked by appointment reason → outcome).
Why it matters: Advice that drives action cements relevance and trust.
3) One brain, many doors
Your member shouldn’t care which door they walked through; they should feel like the same “one brain” answered. Eliminate channel silos: shared CRM, shared notes, shared offers. If a digital chat starts a conversation about a construction loan (hello, 2025-me), the branch can pick up the thread instantly. Or vice versa.
KPI: Cross-channel continuity score (how often the next touch starts where the last left off).
Target: 90%+ continuity for tracked interactions.
Why it matters: Continuity is the oxygen of loyalty.
4) Human precision at scale
Bots and contact centers are excellent at “first pass.” The magic is precision handoffs—routing a member from bot → specialist (branch or virtual) with the context intact. The handoff is your moment of truth. Measure handoff success (member doesn’t have to re-explain) and first expert resolution.
KPI: Successful expert handoff rate.
Target: 95%+ with notes and next steps preserved.
Why it matters: Handoff friction is where goodwill dies—or deepens.
A 10XCU example in practice
Picture a campaign called “Life Moves, We Bank Faster.” All roads lead to digital account opening. Social ads and geofenced placements drive to a 90-second pre-qual quiz. At the end, members self-select: “Finish now” (digital) or “Talk it through” (branch/virtual appointment). The CRM logs the journey. If a prospect pauses at income verification, a smart nudge offers a two-minute assist or schedules a same-day branch consult.
- In digital, a guided flow prompts card activation, mobile wallet add, RDC enrollment, and savings automation.
- In branch, an advisor uses the CRM’s “context panel” to pick up mid-stream, completes the open, delivers a 15-minute financial tune-up, and books a follow-up for a credit wellness review.
You measure:
- Lead→Open rate (by entry door),
- Open→Activation bundle (card + wallet + bill pay + RDC within 7 days),
- First 90-day depth (products per household, direct deposit set, debit transactions), and
- 12-month relationship lift (balance growth, loan penetration, engagement days).
Result: Digital handles the sprint. The branch wins the marathon.
The loyalty loop (why I never went back)
My “branch-free” streak isn’t because I dislike branches. It’s because my credit union made the right thing the easy thing—and they stood ready with experts when I had complex needs. That is the loyalty loop: effortless for the small stuff, expert for the big stuff, continuous across channels. Do that, and members don’t just stay; they invite their future selves to bank more with you.
What to do next (in plain English)
- Declare digital the default. Make it obvious, fast, and complete.
- Re-cast branches as conversation studios. Design for advice, not lines.
- Connect your brain. One CRM, one offer engine, one memory.
- Track predictive KPIs. Prioritize completion, continuity, handoffs, and advice→action.
- Celebrate both. Build up the branch. Build up digital. Both drive loyalty—together.
Jeff Rendel, CSP and Principal of Rising Above Enterprises, is the architect of 10XCU—a system for credit unions that blends bold strategy, measurable execution, and member-obsessed design. A former executive and long-time strategic advisor, speaker, and facilitator, Jeff helps leadership teams turn growth ambitions into predictable results across service, technology, talent, finance, and governance. Reach him: jeffrendel.com; jeff@jeffrendel.com; 951.310.7275.