Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Member Service Representative

🎯 Role Definition

The Member Service Representative serves as the primary point of contact for members at a credit union, bank, or membership-based organization, delivering high-quality customer service and transactional support across phone, digital, and in-branch channels. This role focuses on account maintenance, member onboarding, issue resolution, and cross-selling financial products while ensuring strict compliance with regulatory and internal policies. The ideal candidate balances empathy and sales acumen, uses CRM and digital banking tools effectively, and contributes to retention and member satisfaction metrics.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Bank Teller or Front-Line Cashier with experience in cash handling and daily balancing.
Customer Service Representative or Call Center Agent skilled in inbound/outbound member communications.
Sales or retail associate with strong interpersonal and transactional experience.

Advancement To:

Senior Member Service Representative or Lead Member Service Specialist focused on mentoring and quality assurance.
Personal Banker or Relationship Manager responsible for deeper advisory conversations and cross-sell performance.
Branch Supervisor or Branch Manager overseeing operations, staffing, and member experience.

Lateral Moves:

Loan Processor or Loan Servicing Specialist handling credit applications and documentation.
Fraud Analyst or Risk & Compliance Associate supporting investigations and regulatory adherence.
Digital Banking Specialist or Product Support Representative managing online enrollment and platform troubleshooting.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Serve as the first point of contact for members across phone, email, chat, and in-branch interactions, resolving inquiries about account balances, transactions, fees, and product features with professionalism and accuracy.
Open, close, and maintain member accounts including checking, savings, certificates, online banking profiles, and business accounts while completing required identification, KYC, and documentation in accordance with AML and internal compliance procedures.
Process a full range of member transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, transfers, ACH origination, wire transfers, stop payments, and automated payment setups, ensuring transaction accuracy and timely posting.
Investigate and resolve member disputes, transaction discrepancies, and billing questions by researching account history, communicating clearly with the member, and coordinating with back-office operations to reach timely resolutions.
Conduct proactive member outreach for account verifications, dormant account reactivation, service renewal reminders, and to follow up on pending documentation or unresolved cases to improve retention and satisfaction.
Identify member needs through active listening and targeted questioning, presenting appropriate financial products and services such as loans, credit cards, overdraft protection, and savings programs to meet member goals while achieving individual and branch sales targets.
Educate members on digital banking tools—including mobile banking, eStatements, mobile deposit, bill pay, and online transfers—and assist with enrollment, password resets, and troubleshooting to drive adoption of electronic channels.
Adhere to compliance and regulatory requirements by accurately performing KYC procedures, monitoring for suspicious activity, submitting SARs where appropriate, and supporting internal and external audits with complete, audit-ready documentation.
Maintain accurate and timely updates in CRM systems and core banking platforms (e.g., FIS, Fiserv, Symitar, or institution-specific software), documenting member interactions, escalation notes, and follow-up actions to ensure continuity of service.
Handle escalations professionally by coordinating with supervisors, compliance, and specialized teams, providing comprehensive case summaries, and tracking outcomes to closure while maintaining member trust.
Balance cash drawer and perform teller-like duties when required, ensuring daily reconciliation, adherence to cash handling policies, and immediate reporting of discrepancies to management.
Support account closures, lien releases, ACH returns, and returned item research by coordinating with internal operations and communicating outcomes to members in a timely fashion.
Participate in cross-functional collaboration with lending, operations, marketing, and branch leadership to expedite member requests, streamline processes, and support product launches or promotional campaigns.
Prepare and submit documentation for loan pre-approvals and referrals to lending specialists, collecting initial financial information and verifying documentation to accelerate lending decisions and provide a seamless member experience.
Monitor and follow up on delinquent accounts or past-due notices by coordinating with collections and member outreach teams, offering appropriate repayment solutions and member education to reduce charge-offs.
Maintain deep familiarity with product pricing, fees, limits, promotional rates, and eligibility criteria to accurately advise members and ensure transparent disclosure of terms.
Participate in quality assurance and secret-shopper programs, review interaction recordings, and implement feedback to continuously improve service delivery and compliance adherence.
Generate routine and ad hoc reports related to member inquiries, service metrics, call volume, sales activity, and outstanding cases to support branch leadership in performance monitoring and decision-making.
Contribute to training and onboarding of new member service staff by sharing best practices, demonstrating systems navigation, and coaching on effective member communication and compliance expectations.
Escalate complex technical, investigative, or fraud-related issues to specialized teams while owning the member communication loop and ensuring expectations and next steps are clearly communicated until resolution.
Promote and execute retention strategies including personalized calls, targeted offers, and problem recovery plans to reduce attrition and enhance lifetime member value.

Secondary Functions

Support cross-department projects such as digital transformation initiatives, process improvement teams, and product rollout committees to ensure member-facing considerations are integrated.
Assist in maintaining and updating member-facing knowledge bases, FAQs, and help articles to reduce repeat inquiries and improve self-service adoption.
Track and respond to social media or online review comments escalated to member services, coordinating with marketing and compliance for appropriate public responses.
Participate in periodic risk assessments and remediation efforts, helping to identify gaps in procedures and suggesting practical controls to improve operational integrity.
Support branch-level administrative tasks such as cash order requests, supplies inventory, and scheduling backups for lunch and breaks to maintain consistent service coverage.
Provide input to sales incentive design and member outreach scripts based on frontline insights to increase relevance and conversion rates.
Coordinate with IT support for incident reporting when platform issues affect member access, helping to test fixes and communicate status updates to members.
Represent the organization at community outreach events and member education seminars, promoting financial literacy, product benefits, and trust in the institution.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven proficiency with core banking systems and CRMs (examples: Fiserv, Symitar, FIS, Salesforce or similar) for logging interactions, updating accounts, and tracking service cases.
Experienced in digital banking functionality including mobile deposit, bill pay, eStatements, ACH processing, and wire transfers.
Strong transactional accuracy with cash handling, balancing, and teller procedures, including daily reconciliation and error-resolution workflows.
Knowledge of KYC, AML, OFAC screening, and regulatory compliance requirements relevant to consumer and small business accounts.
Skilled in Microsoft Office (Excel for basic reporting, Word, and Outlook) and comfortable using ticketing systems and phone consoles.
Ability to run and interpret basic service and sales reports (call volumes, conversion rates, outstanding cases) to prioritize workload and hit KPIs.
Familiarity with sales and needs-analysis methodologies for cross-sell and upsell of banking products while maintaining compliance with disclosure rules.
Competent at documenting case notes and creating audit-ready records that satisfy internal and regulatory standards.
Experience with dispute resolution tools and chargeback/return item workflows for ACH and card transactions.
Basic understanding of lending fundamentals and the loan application workflow to make informed referrals and provide initial guidance to members.

Soft Skills

Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for clear, empathetic, and professional member interactions across channels.
Active listening and problem-solving mindset to diagnose member issues quickly and recommend appropriate solutions.
High emotional intelligence and empathy to handle sensitive financial conversations and de-escalate frustrated members while protecting the member relationship.
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to manage multiple cases, follow-ups, and documentation without sacrificing accuracy.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance transactional volume, sales activities, and case investigations effectively.
Resilience and adaptability to thrive in high-volume, fast-paced service environments and react constructively to change.
Teamwork and collaboration to work closely with branch staff, operations, and specialized teams to resolve member issues end-to-end.
Integrity and ethical judgment when handling confidential member information and making compliance-related decisions.
Coaching mindset and willingness to mentor new hires and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
Goal-oriented approach with a track record of meeting or exceeding service quality, sales, or retention KPIs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Communications, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance, Banking, or Financial Services
Business Administration or Management
Communications, Customer Experience, or Hospitality
Information Systems (for digital banking proficiency)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0–3 years in customer service roles; 1–3 years preferred in banking, credit unions, or financial services.

Preferred:

Prior experience as a teller, member service representative, call center agent, or in retail banking with demonstrated transactional accuracy, compliance awareness, and proven member-facing results.