COMMUNITY TRAVEL GUIDE INTRODUCTION
The name of my topic community is US Bank Pearl Branch Employees. A list of my community’s boundaries is that you have to be an employee at US bank in the pearl branch. I don’t have many boundaries because it is a very small branch and we have only 7 employees total. This group should be considered a community because we are all working for the same company and are there to do the same tasks and we spend time together probably more then we would with our friends since we all work together. We all have many things in common especially our goals at work. We respect each other and trust each other as co-workers and are there for the same reasons. We also all connect with all the customers that come into the branch. “In other words, ‘”community” plays a crucial symbolic role in generating people’s sense of belonging’” (Crow and Allan 1994: 6). I feel like work definitely has a significant role in generating people’s sense of belonging because some people don’t connect with anyone outside of work. Since many people have to work 40 hours a week they don’t connect with others besides work and just go home to their families. Or they might not even have families to go to. I know that when I get off work all I want to do is go home and relax and not do anything else. So work can make someone feel like they actually belong somewhere, which is why I feel like work is an important community. Social networks within this bank we can connect through this chat system we have with other US bank employees and also we have a US bank version of face book so we can be connected with each other.
We are all connected and need each other to operate within the branch. This diagram shows the role in this community from management to what makes this community work. We all have our separate roles to do the day to day operations and to make things go smoothly. This diagram also shows who works close together to make this community work. Such as the Manager and Customer service manager works close together and have more similar responsibilities and interest. The banker and universal banker work with each other and get more training from the managers. The bankers are close to the tellers because they rely on us to help them to get to know more of the customer needs. The Teller coordinator helps the tellers and has more of the same goals with each other.
Social Network Diagram:
Graphs:
This graph is showing the age differences between our community and our position in our community.
This graph shows the age difference in our community and the length of employment at US Bank.
This graph shows us the number of employees and the education level in our community.
This graph shows us the number of employees and how they get to work.
This shows the number of employees that worked certain hours.
COMMUNITY IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY
In the banking world globalization didn't affect it as much but there are a few things to show that it is slowly becoming more and more globalized. Many people come to the bank to deal with their money and do different types of transactions. It is hard to do so if you are working the same hours as a bank. To keep customers happy US Bank not only has to compete with other banks but make it more convenient and efficient for them. I feel like globalization in the banking world has affected it in a positive way as well as negative.
US bank has become more globalized by having customers able to get things done without stepping into the branch. You can make deposits through your phone; check your statements and transactions online, paying your bills, and much more. Having ATM’s also help customers do quick transactions without stepping into the bank and all these help the customers that cannot make it into the branch. Online you can also sign up for accounts and credit cards without a banker. All these sound nice and convenient but there are some minor reasons it can affect people. They will not get the branch experience of a teller helping them and a personal experience with the bank they choose to keep their money in. Walking into a branch can also help you make better decisions of products you are using. Some customers have been customers for a long time and at any bank products and services are always changing there are customers in the wrong account but could be in a better account that can benefit them in many ways but since they are not educated they will not know. Here is a couple as an example: many people are getting fees on their accounts when it can be clearly avoided by upgrading to a different. Military customers can take advantage of the best account at US Bank the same as an employee for free but instead they have a standard account and are getting charged a fee every month. Customers with line of credit with high interest rates could qualify for a higher credit line with half the interest rate. As an employee we are there to help educate our customers show them these situations and help them save as much as they can but with globalization it is hard to be in contact with them and most likely they will be stuck in an account that isn't benefiting them in anyway.
People don’t like coming into a branch because they feel like they are always getting pressured into things but it is only for the benefit of the customer and so with all the other ways of doing banking you can easily avoid a branch. I have many customers that are regulars and it feels like a community and you see them two or three times a week. It is nice to talk to people and have that bond even if it is for five minutes. I feel like globalization could not take over the banking world because people do need a branch to go to deal with their issues and questions they have and also going into a branch would be the only way of getting cash out.
US bank has become more globalized by having customers able to get things done without stepping into the branch. You can make deposits through your phone; check your statements and transactions online, paying your bills, and much more. Having ATM’s also help customers do quick transactions without stepping into the bank and all these help the customers that cannot make it into the branch. Online you can also sign up for accounts and credit cards without a banker. All these sound nice and convenient but there are some minor reasons it can affect people. They will not get the branch experience of a teller helping them and a personal experience with the bank they choose to keep their money in. Walking into a branch can also help you make better decisions of products you are using. Some customers have been customers for a long time and at any bank products and services are always changing there are customers in the wrong account but could be in a better account that can benefit them in many ways but since they are not educated they will not know. Here is a couple as an example: many people are getting fees on their accounts when it can be clearly avoided by upgrading to a different. Military customers can take advantage of the best account at US Bank the same as an employee for free but instead they have a standard account and are getting charged a fee every month. Customers with line of credit with high interest rates could qualify for a higher credit line with half the interest rate. As an employee we are there to help educate our customers show them these situations and help them save as much as they can but with globalization it is hard to be in contact with them and most likely they will be stuck in an account that isn't benefiting them in anyway.
People don’t like coming into a branch because they feel like they are always getting pressured into things but it is only for the benefit of the customer and so with all the other ways of doing banking you can easily avoid a branch. I have many customers that are regulars and it feels like a community and you see them two or three times a week. It is nice to talk to people and have that bond even if it is for five minutes. I feel like globalization could not take over the banking world because people do need a branch to go to deal with their issues and questions they have and also going into a branch would be the only way of getting cash out.
OPEN LETTER TO COMMUNITY
My
community has many meanings to me. It is my work place I come to
everyday and spend most of my time with my coworkers and customers. I
like to spend time with my coworkers and work with all of them to
help build a better community within US Bank. My customers help me by
meeting all of them and bringing a lot of the “pearl district”
culture. A lot of people are artist here and they like to share their
paintings with us and that is very special to us because it connects
us.
It
has shaped my identity by connecting me with other people that I
usually wouldn't talk to or have met. This community made me adapt
to other people well. I use feel awkward around other people and not
have much confidence talking to them but after working in the bank
industry they coach and train you and help you find ways to feel more
comfortable. This community has also helped me find out how to help
customers based on their needs and what types of accounts, credit
cards, and loans that would better fit them.
What
I learned about from doing this project is how community is important
and what shapes a community. Also how not only the bank is a
community but all the customers and other businesses around it.
Globalization affects the community but overall makes it efficient
especially by using technology and people who do not have time to
come into the bank can do transactions if they are not able to come
in on a daily basis. What my community will be like five years from
now I feel like there will be fewer workers in a branch and it will
be done mostly through technology. There is not really a “hub” of
the community because every position at the branch is crucial. I
guess making everything flow smoothly on a day to day basis the “hub”
would be a branch manager but it would not affect us in anyway if
this individual leaves. We could still process the branch with the
assistant manager and the teller coordinator. Also once they leave
they will also find someone to cover her position right away.
My
plan to have a positive impact on my community’s future is to just
give good customer service and treat everyone nicely and have special
treats for the customers when they come into the branch.We also do
first Thursdays since we are in the pearl district and we close the
branch an hour before closing so people can come into our branch and
just enjoy our brewery samples and paintings from local artists that
we hang up in our branch. I would like to plan fun activities with
the people that come into our branch. US Bank offers every employee volunteer hours to go help out in the community and I will definitely be using that to go and help out within the our community.
Works Cited
Community. N.d. googleWeb. 10 Feb 2013. <http://www.optionsanimal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/community.jpg>.
Community-Manager. N.d. googleWeb. 10 Feb 2013. <http://cloudfront.bostinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/community-manager.jpg>.
Crow,
G. and Allan, G. (1994) Community
Life. An introduction to local social relations,
Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. 229 + xxv.
PearlWelcome. N.d. googleWeb. 10 Feb 2013. <http://thedunkengroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PearlWelcome.jpg>.
US Bank Volunteers. N.d. googleWeb. 10 Feb 2013. <https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/_asset/kh672t/callout/US_Bank_Volunteers_RGB.jpg>.
US Bank Volunteers. N.d. googleWeb. 10 Feb 2013. <https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/_asset/kh672t/callout/US_Bank_Volunteers_RGB.jpg>.
