ASB has a number of branches on university campuses around New Zealand to help students reach financial success while they’re studying. This month we head to ASB Waikato University to hear from staff there about why students benefit from an on-campus branch, how they use technology to bank and how we help to make the Uni experience as smooth as possible.
Have you noticed any major changes in how your customers bank over the years?
With us being a based in the heart of a University campus, often we will get customers straight out of school who only have a limited understanding of what it is that a bank does and what we can offer them. They are often apprehensive about coming in to see us at first, but once they do and they get to know us and what we can offer they don’t look back. With a large customer base of technology savvy young people, our customers love anything new that we come out with – the ASB Mobile app is definitely a “wow!” feature.
What’s the most unusual customer request you’ve ever had?
Probably the most unusual deposit that we have had is a kitten. We had a lady come into the branch a few months back asking if we had any milk as a stray kitten had made herself at home at her elderly mother’s house. The lady was going to take her to the SPCA but had a number of other errands to run so wasn’t going to make it there for several hours. As this was right during the hottest part of summer, one of our staff (who also volunteers at the local SPCA) offered to take the kitten in and drop it off after work. As it turned out, the kitten never made it that far – one of our other staff members took a shining to the kitten and took him in herself. Twink is very happy in his new home!
Does your branch get involved with any community or campus events?
Waikato University branch is heavily involved in our local community as a couple of major ASB sponsored events in the Waikato occur on the University campus. The Weetbix TRYathlon attracts approximately 3500 kids each year and is a full on morning for volunteers playing the games with the kids and covering them in more temporary tattoos than their parents really want them to have. And of course the ASB Nightglow from the Balloons Over Waikato festival is a marquee event which attracts crowds upwards of 80000 people each year.
As well as that we have a good relationship with the Waikato Student Union, participating in O week each year which is absolutely manic. The last couple of years we have also been a “detour” destination for the International Student Orientation Amazing Race where groups of students have had to solve a long multiplication problem without using a calculator (or their mobile phone!!) before they are allowed to move on to their next destination. Also as you would have guessed from the previous question we have a few animal nuts here at the branch and we do what we can to support the SPCA. We are currently collecting food and supplies to donate to them, and we get in behind their various appeals throughout the year.
How does ASB Waikato University differ from a normal suburban branch?
For a start we have loud music and great coffee right next door with Momento café. The big difference for Waikato University branch is that being right on campus we don’t have much through traffic from customers who aren’t students or faculty staff as we are not as visible as a “high street” branch which means the feel of the branch is totally different to a regular suburban branch. Since November last year we have been merged in operation with the main Hamilton branch in the CBD and our staff have worked as one team across both branches which is quite interesting as the physical layout and customer base of both branches contrasts greatly – Waikato University being a new style open plan branch with all the mod-cons dealing with a higher percentage of young customers versus Hamilton branch being the older style branch with the tellers lined up behind screens and nestled right in the heart of the Hamilton CBD. From my own perspective it’s great for the team to experience the different environments, challenges and opportunities that each branch provides.
Have you made any particular observations about how students bank?
For a lot of students the world of banking is something new that they are just starting out on. Growing up they may have had a savings account or even a term deposit, but when they come to University it’s a whole new world. We have a lot of out of town students that either are living in the halls of residence or are out flatting for the first time and all of a sudden they need to start looking at the bigger picture. Banking is not all about making sure that they’ve got enough money to pay for their McDonalds anymore. Things like insurance, KiwiSaver and credit cards become real to them for the first time. When they come into the branch they are really looking for someone to take them under their wing and make their lives easier.
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