Florida Banking February 2024

conglomerate down the road is service. You provide something they can’t because you are truly invested in the community and understand your customers’ needs. As you look for the right core partner, why shouldn’t you demand the same? When you are performing diligence, ask about service centers: • Where are they located? • What is the average response time to an issue? • What are the average closure ratios? Get specific about the people serving you: •Will you get an answering service or a live specialist? •Does support personnel have experience at a financial institution? It’s important to know if they have walked a mile in your shoes. • Do you have to enter a service ticket via email or a portal? •Can you pick up the phone and speak to someone? •Your customers don’t expect to have to enter a service ticket to find out more about their money, neither should you. Maybe most important, is their support tiered? Your bank’s size shouldn’t demote you to second class customer. Ensure you are moving forward with someone who doesn’t treat you as a number or an account, but as a valued customer who will get to know you by name. It matters. 3. Flexibility, Choice and Voice Your bank is unique, and your core should support and reflect that. Don’t get pushed into a corner with the “bank in a box” theology. Look for a partner who will allow you the flexibility to integrate with third party ancillary products. And while we’re on the subject, third party integration should not come with an outrageous price tag. A good partner will offer API’s and willingly work with other providers to ensure your bank has the flexibility to meet the changing needs of the marketplace without eating up next quarter’s profits. Understand the influence your bank will have on your core provider’s strategic decisions. If a core really values its partners, there will be a regular venue for your feedback. Ask if your core partner has active user conferences where executives interact with customers, advisory groups that meet regularly and feedback loops that actually drive decisions. Your input is critical, and your questions should be welcomed. If a core provider is not willing or able to spend the time answering yours, it is a crystal-clear indicator of what you can expect every day from that partnership.

to have a conversation about your core, he can be reached at rseiber@shazam.net. SHAZAM is the only nationwide independent, member owned core provider, debit network, and processor supporting financial institutions. Since we don’t answer to shareholders, we can reinvest profits in technologies our clients need as they serve the next generation of consumers. SHAZAM ensures our clients have the products and services they demand and expect in a cost-effective way.

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Ronnie Seiber is a SHAZAM Regional Director of Sales – Core for the state of Florida. If you’re looking

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