A Delicious Case of PeopleFirst
On a quiet September morning, the just-risen sun radiating through the windows, a warm, sweet scent wafted through Choice Bank in Ellendale, North Dakota. In the kitchen, Client Services Specialist Niki Pahl pulled a tray of cookies—one dozen chocolate chip, one dozen monster—from the oven.
Every morning, employees take turns baking cookies to entice customers at the bank’s coffee cart. But these particular cookies were not destined for the coffee cart; they were meant for a very special purpose.
The previous day began like any other. Niki was stationed at the front line alongside Relationship Banker Liz VanAarde when a local farmer, Brad, walked through the doors. Brad is a longtime Choice customer and a welcome face at the bank.
According to Liz, it is not uncommon for Niki to take time out of her own day to make someone else’s a little bit brighter. In the one year that Niki has been with Choice, she has embodied every single one of the bank’s core values, especially “Smile, Be Helpful, and Be Passionate.”
“If somebody needs something, she will do it. Even if she doesn’t have the time to do it,” Liz said. “I was gone that day and it’s just the two of us here on the front line in Ellendale. So, she baked those cookies for Brad while also taking care of all of our customers that day. That meant a lot to me. It could have been a really stressful morning, but she did it anyway.”
Liz also believes that Niki’s story is a perfect example of the ways that Choice employees are empowered to go above and beyond to put People First.
“I think that that’s what makes Choice, Choice. It’s about the little things that add up to help us build relationships with our customers,” Liz said. “There are opportunities all around us, and Niki has done a wonderful job taking them and going for it.”
Our People First values are at the heart of everything we do. Learn more about our passion for putting People First here.