Umpqua Bank - Case Study Example

Ray Davis, the CEO and President of the Umpqua Holdings Corporation and of Umpqua Bank, took the challenge of revitalizing the bank’s concept of banking. He instead focused on an alternative approach in banking by combining sales strategy with a service-oriented culture. He also made sure that the employees were motivated by keeping them satisfied with their jobs, and this in turn was able to ingrain the company’s ideals to the employees (Lok & Crawford, 1999). The customer and service-oriented culture of Umpqua Bank gave it an edge over the competition, and helped it rise up to its status today.

Davis chose associates within and outside the organization that were also open to changes, and it helped him and the company achieve exactly what he wished for the Umpqua Bank to become, even exceeding their expectations. The internal structure of the organization was changed first, and in order to provide a service-oriented atmosphere in the banks, the frontlines were employees that were able to attend to anything that any customer might ask, which makes the bank employees seem even more flexible and approachable for their customers.

Thus the customers of the bank would only be interacting with what the CEO calls “sales people” (Freeze, n.d.). Most of the people that had jobs that do not let then interact with customers directly (e.g. tellers, accountants, etc.) were mostly sent in another facility in order for them to do their work efficiently without distractions from incoming customers. Next, trainings and seminars about customer services were provided for all the employees in order for them to imbibe the company’s culture of being customer and service-oriented.

Other upgrades such as the appearance of the banks were made by designing the place to look like a warm lounging area. All visible employees can then cater to the inquiries of the depositors or bank visitors, while providing them seats, internet access, magazines and newspapers, and even coffee while waiting (Freeze, n.d.). By making the customers feel at ease, more inquiries and bank transactions were made, and along with the eventual upgrade of the other branches as well, the new services brought in not just additional revenue but also a new image for the Umpqua Bank.

Aside from giving trainings and seminars, the company also gave time for its employees to participate in activities involving business partners or other institutions in where the bank is located, such as volunteering in order to show the people of Oregon that the company cares not just to its customers but to the community as well. This was found to be a win-win solution in that aside from enriching the lives of the banks’ employees, the interaction also increased not just the number of people that wanted to do business with them or the assets that the bank was able to acquire, but also the number of financial institutions that would be willing to merge with the company (Freeze, n.d.).

Thus the perception of the people in for Oregon Umpqua Bank was a bank that puts the customer first, a bank that works with local partners, and as a bank that gives back to the community. Upon inspection on how