Building strong relationships with customers is what we do!

By Jason Winter, CSB President

Citizens State Bank President Jason Winter.

When most people think of their bank, they think of a purely transactional relationship. Many banks think this way as well. It's simply a place where customers can make deposits and withdrawals, pay bills, transfer money, apply for loans, etc.

This is especially true over the last few years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all banks across the country moved to a more digital banking model out of necessity. With this move, banks experienced double digit percentage increases in the usage of tools like online banking, mobile deposit, bill pay and electronic signatures. Citizens State Bank has all those tools and experienced the same uptick in usage. There's no denying it; the advances in banking technology are great time-savers and it's good our customers are using them.

That being said, a major takeaway for me from the pandemic was just how important the human touch is in banking and everyday life. Our focus at Citizens has always been to cultivate strong relationships with our customers. This was engrained in me from my first day at the bank nearly 16 years ago and still holds true today. You need only flip to the back page of our most recent newsletter and read the testimonial from Modern Design to get a sense of how we're different.

Citizens State Bank started working with Modern Design about 22 years ago, when owners Troy and Jo Eiden relocated the business from Troy's parents farm to downtown Cologne. What started in 1991 as a small cabinet shop inside a granary building that came complete with a lean-to off the side sheltering the pigs on the farm, has now grown to one of the largest custom cabinet shops in Minnesota employing 60 people. Citizens State Bank has been there to help them through five separate additions to the Cologne property, the opening of a second showroom in Rochester, and the acquisition and buildout of the former Econofoods building in Norwood Young America.

The technological advances used in their shops are simply amazing. What used to be done by hand on a table saw is now completed by running programs on a computer. Their automated material handling system can pick through stacks of wood to find the right type and thickness, then move the boards to the appropriate beam saws, CNC routers, and moulders that cut the boards while also minimizing the amount of waste product.

Modern Design is consistently looking to upgrade technology to eliminate bottle necks and improve processes wherever it can. It's no wonder they appreciate, and their testimonial speaks to, the bank, “going above and beyond to help make their lives easier.” What makes this testimonial special to me though, is their appreciation of our “service, support and kindness.” Over their 22+ years with Citizens State Bank, they have worked with nearly all of our staff at one point or another and have had three different loan officers as their primary contact. By saying these simple words, it speaks volumes about the bank's culture that was instilled by my predecessors, and we are proud to maintain. This is what we strive to do for every customer every day.

We realize the need to have all the tools to make your banking transactions easier. We also realize fostering a culture that creates lasting relationships with our customers is just as important. If you haven't already, stop by the bank and experience what makes us different.