Well, having a foot of snow dumped on us was certainly the most South Dakota way to start the new year.
And as we were clearing off the sidewalks and cleaning out the parking lots of our branches, I took some time to reflect not only on the snow and the cold that pummeled us in December, but also on all of the good things that happened in 2022 before Jack Frost came to town.
As always, our teammates worked hard last year to continually improve your banking experience, and I’m proud to say that they accomplished a lot of amazing things. You — our customers and clients — also helped us accomplish some pretty outstanding feats.
From wrapping up construction on our Downtown lobby to winning multiple awards, here are some of my favorite things that we did in 2022:
We launched after-hours customer service
Our teammates put in a lot of time this year working to launch our after-hours customer service, which officially went live in July.
For the first time in our history, we have been able to provide an enhanced, 24-hour customer service experience that allows us to help you with balance inquiries, internal transfers, Personal Online Banking questions, ATM and debit card issues, and several other banking functions around the clock.
We sincerely hope this service has enhanced your banking experience with us; to learn more about our after-hours customer service, check out the original blog:
We reopened our Downtown atrium and lobby
In October of 2019, we began construction on our Downtown branch with the goal of updating and modernizing the now-46-year-old building at 100 South Phillips Avenue.
And in September of 2022, we reopened the atrium and first-floor lobby of our main office to the public!
For the finished product, we updated the space in a way that would encourage the building of relationships; ensure that all of your needs are met; and keep the high-touch, personal feel of a local bank front and center.
You’re welcome to come see our newly remodeled space for yourself or view a sneak peek in the original blog:
We took home some hardware
To start our winning streak, we received an Advisor Podcast Award for our podcast, Common Cents on the Prairie™, from FiComm and Investment News in June. We won this national award in the “Beyond the Numbers” category for pushing the boundaries of financial planning.
Then, we earned an Honorable Mention in the American Bankers Association Foundation’s Community Commitment Awards in October. The honorable mention came in the “Financial Education” category of the awards, recognizing our commitment to educating our communities through our podcast.
To round out the year, the Sioux Empire Society for Human Resource Management awarded us with their 2022 Workplace Excellence Award for Culture in December.
To learn more about what makes our culture so awesome, check out our original blog on the award:
We surpassed 25,000 podcast downloads
Around this time last year, we were celebrating 10,000 total podcast downloads. Now — thanks to the record year we just had — we’re celebrating the 25,000-download milestone!
We owe this one to all of you — the listeners of our podcast.
There is so much work that goes into our podcast behind the scenes, and we do it all because we want to provide a resource to help you along your financial journey. So, thank you so much for taking advantage of this resource by listening to our podcast…25,000 times!
If you need to catch up on some episodes, you can listen to them on your favorite podcast player or watch them all on Spotify or our YouTube channel:
We revamped the Wealth Management section of our website
In order to make our Wealth Management services more accessible to you, we gave the Wealth Management section of our website a user-focused update.
Our First National Wealth Management team is dedicated to helping you plan and save for your financial future through flexibility and personal service, and all of that is reflected in the updated site.
Here at First National, your interests come first — and we hope you get that feeling when you browse our website. Check it out:
We joined TikTok
Because who doesn’t want to follow their bank on TikTok?
In all seriousness though, TikTok has allowed us to expand our social media presence so we can share more clips from our podcast, financial education videos like how to write a check, and fun videos of our teammates and culture.
If any of those things interest you, check out our profile — and hit the follow button while you’re there:
We started looking toward 2023
Heading into the new year, we were already looking for the next ways to improve your banking experience in 2023.
Many of you have taken our annual customer feedback surveys over the years, and we are planning to more intentionally ask you for feedback throughout the year rather than just once a year. Be on the lookout for those opportunities, and please let us know what we can do to improve.
We will also continue to look at opportunities to enhance your digital banking experience, and, given how well our Wealth Management site update has been received, we will work on updating other sections of our website to improve usability for you there as well.
Lastly, we have a lot of fun and exciting things in store for you this year, just as we always do:
- We will be releasing a new commercial, so keep an eye out for us on your screens.
- We will be wrapping up and unveiling the second-floor remodel at our Downtown branch.
- We will be incorporating teammates more in our content, since we know how much you love to see our people. This will include a new blog series featuring our teammates and a revival of our video series “Opening the Vault.”
Don’t forget to follow us on social media for updates on these projects and to see what else we’re up to throughout the year!
