Finding the Profit in Fairness

Contrary to conventional wisdom, banking can be both fair and profitable--in fact, fairness can be a source of competitive advantage. The evidence for this claim comes from a segment of the financial services industry seldom associated with fairness: consumer credit. The reputation of this business--which encompasses credit cards, personal loans, payday advances, and so on--is so questionable that any claims of "fairness" are viewed by customers with extreme skepticism. But TeamBank, a subsidiary of the German Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken banking group, has successfully developed a brand that transforms the fuzzy concept of fairness into a visible and credible set of product characteristics and operating processes. Overhauling its central offering, easyCredit, involved significant organizational change and the strength of mind to reject profitable products and features inconsistent with the company's core value: "We are an honorable merchant." Product developments included offering a 30-day customer retraction period, making repayment insurance optional rather than mandatory, eliminating the penalty on partial repayments, and even offering a "protection package" that would consider changes in a customer's circumstances, such as illness or loss of a job. TeamBank addressed concerns about the new strategy by providing extensive training to employees and partners and adopted an unusual catalytic device for values-driven innovation--a scale model town symbolizing the brand.

• Competitive strategy
• Customer-centricity
• International business
• Business law and ethics