Imagine walking into your bank to a warm greeting by a teller or other staff member. They know your name, and you know theirs, because they’ve worked at the bank for years (many for 10 years or more). And if your visit falls on a Friday, you can grab a fresh-baked cookie to munch on while you wait to conduct your business.
At Quail Creek Bank in Oklahoma City—which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary—customer service is taken seriously. Though that doesn’t mean the atmosphere is cold and impersonal, as it is at many banks. A key component of this unique, independent community bank’s philosophy is a focus on creating a fun and friendly atmosphere for both clients and its employees.
Quail Creek Bank opened for business on Dec. 4, 1974, at 12201 N. May Ave., just across May from the blossoming neighborhood’s other new attraction, Northpark Mall. It started with a staff of 14 – including three officers with more than 40 years of banking experience, five paying/receiving tellers and two discount tellers.
In a news release, it was noted that the bank featured up-to-date drive-in facilities, a commercial drive-in window and three visual pneumatic drive-in stations with the provision for two additional stations.
From such auspicious beginnings, the bank weathered numerous ups and downs. Among the latter: worldwide economic roller coasters, six bank robberies, the feared threats of Y2K, a flood, and of course, most recently, COVID-19. Most devastating locally was the oil bust of the 1980s, which has been compared to a second Great Depression for this state and our neighbors to the south. Between 1982 and 1987, 69 Oklahoma banks failed statewide. Quail Creek Bank managed to survive.
On the “up” side, Quail Creek Bank has witnessed steady growth over the years, with total assets growing from $3 million in 1974 to over $69 million by 1986, then $402 million in 2008, to $842 million by 2021.
Through it all, Quail Creek Bank continues as one of the “Top Performing Banks” in the nation; as of last year, it was ranked 384 out of 2,856 banks in the United States with assets between $100 million and $1 billion based on the last three-year average return on equity.
Quail Creek Bank has grown in physical space, as well. It underwent its first major expansion in 1982; in April 2013, it opened a new south facility, followed by an update to the exterior and a remodel of the original building.
While the bank has added numerous services over the past half-century—most based on technological advances and for the convenience of its clientele—including mobile banking, electronic bill pay, person-to-person payments, e-statements, and online loan and mortgage applications—it turns out Oklahomans still want a “banker.” And Quail Creek Bank is happy to oblige.
The bank’s executive team—President & CEO Doug Fuller, Chief Lending Officer John A. Workun, Chief Operating Officer Carol Fehrle, Chief Financial Officer James Griffith, Chief Communication and Innovation Officer Erin D. Batey, and Chief Credit Officer Jerika Coffman—have a combined 136 years of service at Quail Creek Bank.
“It’s a people business,” President Fuller said. “Whether it’s customers, employees or shareholders, it comes back to people.”
More than 50 of Quail Creek Bank’s current staff have been with the bank for 10 years or more, and half of that number have been with the bank for two decades or longer.
The integrity of bank leadership combined with a family atmosphere paves the way to employee loyalty, Phyllis Ford, vice president for operations/wires & tellers, is quoted as saying in a coffee table book, The Gold Standard: Celebrating the First Fifty Years of Quail Creek Bank, forthcoming from NightOWL Publications Inc.
“Everyone here loves to work at Quail Creek Bank and knows that they are a valued employee by the many perks that are offered to the employees from upper management,” said Ford, who came to work at the bank in 1980, making her the longest-tenured employee among current staff.
The bank has an entertainment (or culture) committee whose focus is to make memorable employee events part of the fabric of the bank. It organizes events for employees and their families such as Easter egg hunts, picnics, Christmas parties and lake parties, while management celebrates milestones and achievements on various levels to help make employees feel appreciated. Other employee perks include 401k matching, Employee of the Month/Year recognitions, Quail Cash, and widespread staff participation in community volunteer programs.
Through the “We Love Our Community” initiative, scores of central Oklahoma organizations—in education, health care, faith communities, and more—benefit from the active participation of the bank’s executive staff and employees.
This unique initiative has benefited Hearts for Hearing, Community Literacy Centers Inc., Mercy Health Foundation, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, and neighboring schools, to name a few. Even the bank’s annual Customer Christmas Party is community-minded, with the nonprofit Santa’s Cause as the beneficiary of the bank’s and customers’ largesse.
“We try to let everybody know that we are in the community with them,” Bert Olah, the bank’s vice chairman, is quoted as saying in the coffee table book. “We are trying to be part of the community to help it grow; in return, it will help us grow.”
In a letter to shareholders, customers and employees, also published in the anniversary book, president and CEO Doug Fuller observed: From our humble beginnings, we have steadfastly remained committed to our core guiding principles: integrity, customer service, community involvement, and financial strength. These principles have served as our foundation, guiding us through decades of growth and change, and they continue to be the bedrock of our operations today.”
In his preface to the anniversary book, current Quail Creek Bank chairman Mark Davenport shares a similar viewpoint: “Our bank has survived 50 years in a fiercely competitive financial service/banking industry by having great people, great leaders, a highly focused mission of doing great banking with heart, and the discipline to stay small enough to keep our family vibe but big enough to grow.”
Davenport foresees a bright future for the bank, observing: “We view the next 50 years as an opportunity to further strengthen our relationships with our shareholders, customers, employees and the communities we serve. Together, we will continue to chart a course toward even greater success, always mindful of our responsibility to each of you. … Our commitment to innovation, excellence and community remains unwavering. We look forward to serving you with the same dedication and passion that has defined Quail Creek Bank for the past five decades.”
Learn more about Quail Creek Bank at https://quailcreek.bank/