Located just three miles from Chicago’s Loop, the Archer branch of Washington Federal Bank has been serving the Bridgeport and surrounding communities for more than 100 years.
The Taylor Street branch, which opened 13 years ago in the Little Italy neighborhood, has extended the distinctly personal approach to banking that has made Washington Federal an iconic name in the region.
While Washington Federal offers a full array of services from CDs, checking and savings accounts to home mortgage loans, the thing they are most well-known for is their personal approach to banking.
“We pride ourselves on our customers’ personal banking experience. We know our customers and greet them by name,” says Meghan Gembara, compliance marketing associate. “It’s important to us that our customers don’t feel like a number. Customer appreciation may be a thing of the past, but it’s still alive and well at Washington Federal.”
Gembara, whose family has been administrators of Washington Federal for four generations, says that decades of experience have proven that although times change, what has always been first and foremost for success has been their absolute commitment to excellent customer service.
Whether it is Bridgeport or Little Italy, the commitment to customer service and a personal touch is something that cannot be underestimated, says Taylor Branch Manager Tina M. Civito.
“Everyone working there knows what they are doing, says B. Novak, a bank customer since 1974. “They treat you like family. They are always very helpful.”
Banking customer Carmella M. Morris agrees. “Banking with Washington Federal is a pleasure. Everyone is friendly and helpful, especially their Taylor Manager Tina. She makes banking easy and is trustworthy,” she says.
According to Civito, the demand for technology has certainly changed the way their customers bank and Washington Federal has kept up with the times by offering modern conveniences. “As technology advances, we strive to keep up with market demands.”
Gembara says customer convenience is a necessity to maintaining a high level of satisfaction. “Because we do understand the needs of our customers, we offer our integrated app to make it easy for them to manage their accounts right from their phones. By using a remote capture, a simple picture of the check can be sent over to us for processing,” she says. “We are also a part of the Allpoint Network, which means our customers can use over 55,000 ATMs worldwide free of charge.”
While worldwide ATM coverage is impressive for any bank, in the end it is always going to be community for Washington Federal Bank. “Community involvement is very important to us. While our branches are located in Bridgeport and Little Italy, we don’t just limit ourselves to those communities,” says Civito. “We take part in several community activities throughout the year that support both local and city-wide charities.”
Washington Federal is proud to be Bauer Financial 5-star rated, ranked among American Bankers Top 200 Community Banks and Thrifts, and also rated in the S&P Global Marketing Top 100 Community Banks.
Washington Federal Bank
Archer Branch: 2869 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, 773-254-3422;
Taylor Branch: 1410 W. Taylor St., Chicago, 312-455-2940
wafedbank.com
