HEY! Did you know that INB is switching online banking platforms?!

OK, so maybe that’s not exactly how we’re getting the word out. There is a little more going on behind the scenes than that!

The scoop? INB is transitioning our online banking to a new service Oct. 17.

The challenge? How to help all of our current online banking customers easily convert their accounts!

Customer Communication

To make sure our customers are in the know, we started our communication efforts early. We began reaching out to customers in a variety of different ways, since we know that everyone prefers to receive communication in a different manner – from text to email to social media to snail mail.

Our communication about this major change began with outlining the components of the project and breaking it down into steps. We’ve also enlisted input from across all lines, from a focus group of current business and personal banking customers to committees of bank staff and consultants.

“We could launch the greatest product in the world, but if we don’t tell people it’s coming and help them understand what to do, everyone will just be confused,” said Marilyn Titone Schaefer, communications director at INB.

Our initial letter to current online banking users explained that the online banking change is taking place and discusses what to expect next. A landing page on INB’s website also displays updated information as the launch gets closer.

“We’re also telling our customers to be on the lookout for emails from the bank because there are certain steps they can take to ensure a seamless switch. For example, they need to know their user names in order to log into the new system on Oct. 17,” Marilyn said.

Customer Experience

We know that everyone develops habits, and sometimes change can be tricky. So we have many departments collaborating to make our online banking switch as simple as possible for our customers.

“Our team has already met for many hours to make sure we are covering all of the details, and we plan to meet many more hours up to and at conversion,” said Jamie Singer, deposit operations.

As we have planned the transition, we have been beta-testing the new online banking platform with groups of employees across our central Illinois branches.

We’re striving to deal with any issues now, so our customers won’t have those issues after conversion. That way, we can work with the managers of the new platform to alleviate any concerns.

In INB’s Customer Care Center, the team is learning the ins and outs of the new service. The center is also developing a list of FAQs to answer common questions our customers may have about the new application.

“We want to make sure our team understands our current online banking application inside and out, so we can relate to customer comparisons, concerns and questions,” said Steve Miller, client services and sales development coach. “We’re reviewing the new features and benefits, and we’re developing wording that helps our staff explain the new program once it is released.”

Customer Assistance

We know there will always be questions, and we’re dedicated to helping you through the process – both before and after the conversion.

Part of this means not only educating our staff at all of our branches, but also having members of our team on hand to give additional support during the launch of the new system.

“Representatives of our branch staff will be well-informed because they are often the first people a customer will go to with an issue,” Marilyn said. “We’ll have someone at each branch location able to help a customer if they need assistance logging in or setting up account.

“The week of Oct. 17, we’ll be setting up private spaces in our branches, and someone will be present every day at every branch to give assistance to anyone who needs it,” she added.

Preparation is key to any kind of change, but when it comes to our customers, we are dedicated to a seamless transition. After all, our vision is to make banking easier for you.

Jamie said: “We plan to have a bank that is all-hands-on-deck in order to be able to assist all customers that call, email or stop in. With the detailed customer communications that will be sent out through multiple channels, we hope that this will make everything very easy to the customers, but we also want them to know we are here for them in every capacity.”