Amanda Abercrombie

At the heart of it, Amanda Abercrombie, Banking Center Manager of the Reynoldsburg banking center in Columbus, Ohio, is a teacher.

“I love those little ‘Aha!’ moments customers get when you’re able to explain something to them, and they’re able to learn something new or to understand something that had been frustrating to them previously,” she shared. “That is my passion.”

It’s something she’s always loved – getting to know customers and helping them smile.

“Prior to working in banking, I worked in the service industry, and I always really enjoyed that work,” she shared. “So, when I went back to college and got my degree in Finance, it just made sense to go into banking.”

She hasn’t looked back since.

“I just really, really love it,” she said with a laugh.

Amanda makes it her mission to help her clients – whether that’s untangling complex financial topics or helping them strategize how to pay the bills.

“My motto is ‘No matter how a customer comes in, they leave smiling,’” she explained. “They can be upset, they can be angry, they can be sad – but I want to brighten their day and help them find a solution and leave with more confidence than they came in with.”

Many customers, she explained, don’t know how much talking to a banker can help them – or “don’t know what they don’t know” until they ask. And it’s her privilege to help.

“For example, I had a customer who had always been in good standing but had fallen on hard times,” she shared. “He had about $40 to his name and unfortunately got hit with overdraft fees and NSF fees all at once – he had never overdrafted in his life before, but now, with the fees, he didn’t have enough money to live. So he came to me and asked if there was anything I could do to help, and I was able to refund some of those fees. It gave him just enough wiggle room to get through his rough patch, and he didn’t know that was something that could be done until he came to us for help.”

While she can’t take that strategy in every case, Amanda always works with customers to try and find a solution that will work for them – and her office is always open.

Amanda also works tirelessly to help her employees at her branch – pulling out the cash drawer when the banking center is busy or walking them through complex or new processes. This, too, is teaching.

“I like to help them realize that nothing is out of reach for them – that they can do things they thought they couldn’t,” she said. “I’ll show them how to do a new task, and then I give them the wheel and say, ‘Now you show me.’ It’s really worked to build confidence for employees working in new areas of banking or with new systems.”

Through her leadership, the Reynoldsburg banking center – clients and employees – has grown and flourished.

“I really, really love my job,” Amanda said.

First Merchants Bank’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility compels us to invest in our communities by finding ways to reduce inequalities, improve the quality of our neighborhoods, and promote positive economic mobility though our five community pillars: Employee Empowerment; Community Investments and Charitable Giving; Financial Wellness; Community Home Lending; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This series features First Merchants teammates who embody the spirit and impact of the company’s Vision: “to enhance the financial wellness of the diverse communities we serve.”