POWERGRAMS

39 FINANCIAL There's a lot of "new" at the new APCO Employees Credit Union branch in the north tower lobby of the Energy Center at the Colonnade in Birmingham. For starters, customers stand next to tellers at work desks instead of the traditional way of standing across from each other divided by a counter. They will interact with "universal tellers," trained to handle the soup- to-nuts credit union experience, from cashing a check to applying for a loan. Another new concept is providing information digitally on large screens that not only relate to banking but to community events as well. "With the move (from Inverness), we took the opportunity to build an open- space branch we hope will evolve with the future of financial services," said Caitlin Brothers, business development officer for the credit union. "Our objective with the branch design is our members will have an in-person experience that aligns with the digital experience they have online." The branch has been open since July, although the former Inverness location didn't close until Aug. 31, and the official "open house" was Nov. 17, 2018. Some 1,900 employees from Southern Company Services, Southern Nuclear and Southern Power have been gradually relocating to the Energy Center from their former Inverness location and Corporate Headquarters downtown. Brothers is particularly excited about the new teller concept. "The pod design helps eliminate physical barriers between employees and the members we serve, while also fostering engagement and conversation," she said. "Rethinking the teller line allows for faster transactions, more accuracy and the ability to focus on members' growing financial needs instead of task completion." The open house drew a crowd of about 400, with lunch courtesy of a Saw's Street Kitchen food truck. Light snowfall that morning, and the cold temperatures that went with it, prompted the credit union to roll out the hot chocolate as well. The thought behind the new design and customer service approach is to make the credit union more than a traditional financial institution. "We would like it to be a gathering place that facilitates conversations, not only about financial services, but members' needs," Brothers said. "We're exploring opportunities to transform our open house concept to recurring monthly meet-ups where we'll provide coffee and refreshments from local businesses." APCO Employees Credit Union has 15 branches and more than 50 ATMs statewide, as well as access to 5,000 shared branches and 30,000 ATMs through shared branching nationwide. APCOECU opens latest branch at the Colonnade in Magic City by Gilbert Nicholson

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