A $50,000 Follow-Through

When Twila Donley received the letter from her bank, she was immediately confused.

“Because your building is no longer owner-occupied,” it read, “You need to pay your mortgage down by $50,000.”

What?!

Twila had recently sold her business, Fantasia Salon; a hair-loss center that helps customers create life-like hair. But she still owned the building where the salon was housed, and she was still paying off the mortgage. She had been banking with her bank for 30 years. This had never come up.

A few months later, Kriss and Karsten received a letter in the mail at Choice Bank addressed to them. When they opened it, they found a two-page handwritten thank you note from Twila.

“Dear Kriss,” the letter began:

“I just wanted to send a huge “thank you” for the great customer service I received from you and Karsten Jensen in helping me refinance my building in Crystal, MN.

I had worked with a large bank for 30 years. I was never late or missed a payment. They wanted me to pay down my mortgage $50,000 because it wasn’t owner-occupied. This was totally unacceptable. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated your great customer service. You listened to my needs and promised a solution for a new mortgage in a quick and timely manner. You made me feel like a valued customer, which is a quality I so admire and is so difficult to find today. Karsten was also a great help to me.

I have no problem referring friends and family to you and Choice Bank. Again, my sincere “Thank you.”

Sincerely,
Twila Donley”

Kriss and Karsten were moved to receive such a letter.

“To me, we just did what we said we would. Here, going ‘above and beyond’ is the norm,” Kriss said. “She was blown away by what, for us, is just doing our jobs. It’s showing her what banking should be.”

This experience is another illustration of how Choice Bank strives to elevate the banking experience. In reflecting on the story, Karsten referenced a Choice core value: Commit to your customers with undivided attention.  What Twila experienced in her relationship with Choice is engrained into our everyday values, and how every customer is treated; with respect, personalized care, and with diligent follow-through to get the job done. It’s all part of being #PeopleFirst. Our People First values are at the heart of everything we do. Learn more about our passion for putting People First here.