Customer Support

Partnering for high performance

January 2009

In the October 2007 American Banker^® (Off-site Link) article by Tom Kraack “Small Staff Improvements Can Bring Big Returns” (PDF, Off-site Link) he wrote, “Learning no longer plays just a supporting role. It is a key in attracting and retaining the best people and in helping those people toward the goals of innovation and stronger business performance.” Kraack, senior executive at Accenture (Off-site Link) — a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company — also asserted that the potential payoff for helping employees perform optimally may include:

• A productivity increase of 2 to 3 percentage points for the sales force
• Knowledge management capabilities that get new services to market days faster
• Enhanced contact skills that boost customer retention by a few percentage points
• Programs that shave weeks off training

Providing tools to help you perform

As part of the Federal Reserve Banks’ overall customer-focused philosophy, we are committed to providing innovative training to help you realize operational efficiencies, and education to help you keep current on important issues in the payments industry. We accomplish this through convenient, cost-effective channels — from online Webinars to in-person events — taking into consideration your time and budget limitations.

Education: At a glance

The FRBservices.org Events and Education page provides a variety of tools, materials and event information to help you learn more about Federal Reserve Financial Services that include:

• Education: Our eLearning Center is at the heart of our online educational resources. To save both you and your organization time and money, you need only a computer and Internet connection to tap into this vast network of online training to help boost your knowledge of Federal Reserve Financial Services. For instance, the Account Services eLearning Tool provides Frequently Asked Questions, service overviews and detailed billing information to assist you in navigating through our Account Management Information (AMI) and Service Charge Information (SCI) applications.
• Federal Reserve Bank Events: In addition to the self-directed training available through our eLearning tools described above, the Federal Reserve Banks host many in-person and online events to share important information and provide training for our financial institution customers. For instance, the November 2009 Message Format Changes for Cover Payments info session will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in February and offered later that month as a Webinar. For more details about the changes to the Fedwire Funds Service message format, see “Counting down…365 days to new message format,” (PDF) in the November 2008 FedFocus. Using the convenient online registration tool, you can easily register to attend these events.
• Industry Events: Interested in hearing about current Federal Reserve Bank developments direct from the source? We have a presence at many financial services industry conferences, such as the BAI TransPay^SM Conference & Expo, where Federal Reserve leaders join other industry experts to navigate payments industry changes and offer insights to help your organization manage challenges and seize opportunities in today's competitive marketplace. We also have a presence at a host of regional and state banking association conferences. No matter which event you attend, the topics presented will help keep you in-the-know on important industry issues.

Resources: At your fingertips

In addition to our events and educational resources, we offer downloadable content for each of our product lines via FRBservices.org. As you browse our site, you’ll find such tools as our E-Payments Routing Directory, which provides basic routing information for FedACH^® transactions and Fedwire^® Funds and Book-Entry Securities transfers, and our Check Adjustments Quick Reference Guide, which provides service level, timeframe and general requirements for requesting check adjustments through the Federal Reserve Banks.

There are also product information sheets, forms, recorded sessions and slides, case studies, calculators, Web casts and templates to assist you. You can use this information as stand-alone reference material or in conjunction with online training modules, plus it’s easy to bookmark, print or share with colleagues.

To keep you informed of changes that may impact your organization’s operations, our monthly bulletin, FedFlash^®, provides a variety of national and district news articles, plus Flashboard, a handy quick reference guide of key dates and service changes. Be sure to subscribe to the new online FedFlash to receive expanded content and robust functionality.

Assistance: At your service

Keeping up-to-date on the numerous and frequent changes in the financial services industry need not be a burdensome or time-consuming feat. Our resources are designed to meet the needs of busy professionals by providing concise, relevant information that is readily accessible. Our goal is to help you perform at your best.

Can’t find what you need? Use My FedDirectory^SM to get a customized list of the Federal Reserve contacts available to help your organization.

SOURCE: This article was published on October 16, 2007 by American Banker.

"BAI TransPay" is a service mark of the Bank Administration Institute.

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