Michelle Bordner couldn’t wait for Regions’ Frontline First Week to arrive.
That’s because the April 17-21 celebration honoring branch associates marked her first as branch manager and as the one who decided exactly how to say ‘thanks’ to her team.
“Being able to bring Frontline First to them for the very first time was really exciting,” said Bordner, who manages Regions’ Uptown Charlotte branch.
“I actually became part of the Regions family in January 2020 serving in another role at a different location and completed my onboarding just as COVID-19 restrictions began and the pandemic hit,” she said.
“For Regions to recognize the way we were taking care of our customers by creating Frontline First in September 2021 was incredibly important to us. We all felt very valued.”
Three years later, Michelle said, that’s still the case as the celebration continues to grow.
“The goal of my Frontline First celebration this year was reminding my team how important what they do on a day-to-day basis is for our customers,” Bordner said.
“Every day, we help customers navigate some very difficult financial situations – like the death of a family member or someone opening up their very first account because they want to better their lives and take the first steps on the path to financial wellbeing,” she said.
“Frontline First acknowledges the difference we make in the lives of our customers. It’s also another way for us to engage with our customers. They are excited we’re taking the time to appreciate our associates and are glad to bank with a company like that has this kind of culture and commitment to people. They love it. We love it.”
Last week’s celebration was Regions’ first springtime Frontline First. Branch associates will now be honored a second time each year in September during the company’s Evergreen Week – in addition to the ways they’re recognized throughout the year.
Regions won the accolade for the way it invests in and values associates to attract top talent, foster innovation and drive business success.
“Frontline First Week is a fitting tribute to the associates who are often the first to bring Regions’ values and relationship banking to life for customers,” said Kate Danella, head of the Consumer Banking Group.
“It is their technology-enabled advice, guidance and solutions that help customers embrace life’s financial IFs and it is their can-do spirit, heart and care for each other and their customers that make Regions a great place to work and to bank.”
Special Pay, Customer Cards
Frontline First perks included a $100 Frontline First special pay award April 19, a voucher for one paid day off, and celebratory meals throughout the week that give branch teams another opportunity to support local small businesses.
Many customers visiting branches during the week took the time to write personal notes on comment cards – sharing the difference Regions bankers made in their lives. At a branch in Spring, Texas, near Houston, one wrote, “I love this branch. All your employees are super friendly and super helpful. BEST BRANCH IN TOWN!”
Shelly Rich, who manages Regions’ branch in Belleair Bluffs, Florida, found a customer had put a card with her name in the box used to collect them throughout the week. An associate drew it out Friday, with the writer – Paul Klonsinki – getting a cooler bag as a surprise ‘thanks’ for sharing in the Frontline First activities.
“Shelly was really helpful and very courteous,” Klonsinki wrote on his card. “She helped me to open up my HELOC. Thank you, Shelly.”
Associates across Danella’s organization added their own shout-outs inside the bank through its Consumer Recognition Program site, by sending Frontline First ecards, or to say ‘thanks’ in person to those they work with to help customers achieve the goals identified in the Regions Greenprint® financial plans they create with bankers.
Sharing the Good
Many teams also took the opportunity during Frontline First Week to make a community impact and contribute to the 2023 edition of Regions’ annual Share the Good community engagement program.
Hope Villages of America Board Member and Branch Manager Debra Jones and the Clearwater, Florida, Consumer leadership team raked and bagged leaves to spruce up Hope’s local campus. The organization provides affordable housing for families trying to get back on their feet.
Branch teams from Ashdown, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, decided to cap off Frontline First Week by running in the Casa 5K Color Fun Run. Casa, for Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children, is a nonprofit providing hope, healing, and justice through advocacy for abused and neglected children.
In Sugar Hill, Georgia, Branch Manager David Wiley and team fanned out to thank some other frontline heroes.
They delivered boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts to teachers at White Oak Elementary and Lanier Middle schools and to first responders at the Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services headquarters.
“This is a part of Frontline First my team particularly enjoys each year,” Wiley said of the community outreach. “It’s about more than banking. We want to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. When they win, we win.”
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $154 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
Bring Your Whole Self to Work
We have a passion for creating an inclusive environment that promotes and values diversity of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sex, pregnancy, and many other primary and secondary dimensions that make each of us unique as individuals and provide valuable perspective that makes us a better company and employer. More importantly, we recognize that creating a workplace where everyone, regardless of background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.
OFCCP Disclosure: Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans