For over 100 years, Piedmont Federal Savings Bank has been a trusted financial source for customers of all ages, at all stages of life. While each of those decades has brought new challenges and issues when it comes to good financial health, technology has been a game-changer in the banking field.

“Technology should not replace great customer service, but it should enhance the relationship,” explains Chief Marketing Officer Ginger Salt. Take a look at some examples of Piedmont Federal’s customer-centric technology options and how they stay connected!

• Online banking allows you 24/7 access to view up-to-the-minute account balances and transaction information for deposit and loan accounts.
• Online bill pay is a free, secure service that allows customers to send payments to any person or business.
• eStatements are another free service, and besides earlier availability, customers have the additional protection from lost or stolen mail.
• Transfer funds options allows customers to enjoy three ways to transfer money, either between Piedmont Federal accounts, from one Piedmont account to another bank, or by using Popmoney, for person-to-person transfers.
• Mobile and text banking is a free, secure way to view account balances, make bill payments, transfer funds between Piedmont accounts, or locate the nearest branch.
• Mobile deposit allows customers to use smart phone cameras to snap a picture of the front and back of a check, and submit it via the mobile app.
• Debit cards are safer than carrying a check book, and if your card is lost or stolen, you are not liable for unauthorized purchases.
• Card Valethelps customers control debit card usage on the go. You can turn off a debit card the moment you realize it’s lost, and no withdrawals or purchases will be approved. When you find it, simply turn your card back on.
• Make$entsis a simple way to save a little every day just by using your debit card! Add it to a checking account, and each time the debit card is used for a purchase, the transaction is rounded up to the next nearest dollar. At the end of the day, the total amount from all transactions is automatically transferred to either a statement savings or youth savings account, and Piedmont Federal will even match 15% of the transferred amount.
• uChoose Rewards is a credit card rewards program, to earn and redeem points for merchandise, travel, and more.
• Worldwide free ATMuse is never a problem as you enjoy free transactions from any ATM in the world.
• Fraud alert texting provides cardholders with fraud alerts via text for added convenience.
• Financial Wellness provides online education on topics such purchasing a home, estate planning, budgeting, or financing higher education.

Life stages may also dictate how customers interact with their bank. Consider these two hypothetical cases of typical customers:

1. Joe C. is a Piedmont Federal customer and a high school senior. He’s constantly on the go, with a part-time job, classes, and extracurricular activities. Joe’s trying to save for college, but he rarely has time to visit the bank. He has a checking and savings account, and has been using the PF Financial Wellness Center to prepare him for college budgeting. Typical scenario: Joe realizes he doesn’t have cash for lunch when he and his friends arrive for a college campus visit. He can use any ATM and will be reimbursed for all service fees. He later realizes he needs to deposit a check his grandmother wrote him for his birthday, so he logs into mobile banking and takes a picture of the front and back of the check, and deposits the funds into his account. He decides a little later to transfer some of the funds to savings, so he logs back in and makes the transfer.
2. Liza and Charles C. are Joe’s parents. Liza and Charles will be empty nesters soon, with Joe going off to college. They’ve always been a little wary of using bank “technology” because they prefer personal interaction. All the electronic capabilities were intimidating and they didn’t want to replace humans with a machine or app. Typical scenario:  Charles has recently set up a small business and doesn’t have time to go in the branch as frequently, so when they did visit they discussed their concerns about technology. Their banker listened, noted what was most important to them, and walked the couple through the best technology options.  Liza and Charles also want to help Joe financially a little each month, so they set up online banking and automatic transfers to Joe’s checking account. They both benefited from the PF Financial Wellness Center, where they completed Retirement 101 and Estate Planning, while Charles opened a business checking account where he also uses mobile deposit. Both “customers” benefited from in-person and technology options, confirming that one doesn’t come at the expense of another!

Piedmont Federal will continue to implement customer-centric technology this year, including Notifi, which will enable customers to choose when and how they receive account alerts. In addition, they will add Zelle, a faster person-to-person money transfer system.

Piedmont Federal Savings Bank’s home office is located at 201 South Stratford Road in Winston-Salem. Reach them at 336-770-1000 or online at piedmontfederal.bank.