Whether he's keeping the level of customer service sky-high or keeping his team's spirits lifted with the occasional “Dad” joke (yes, even the bad-Dad jokes are funny sometimes), Jacob Theobald inspires a culture of caring at the Mooresville branch of Citizens Bank.
How did you get your start in the banking industry?
I started in the banking industry as a teller back in 2012 and worked my way up to my current position in management. I came to Citizens Bank about a year and a half ago. I had initially intended to have a career in finance, but I quickly learned that I preferred a faster paced job. In banking, you have much more of an opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the public, and I love building relationships with our customers.
What's your favorite part of your day-to-day responsibilities?
I have a passion for helping customers, whether it's helping them with a loan or opening an account. I love being the one to help that customer with whatever it is they need. And I'm known for dotting my i's and crossing my t's - which is something I know my customers appreciate.
You sound very people-driven.
When I interview candidates for teller positions, the most important thing I'm looking for is good customer service experience. If you have a strong background or a love of customer service, you're going to succeed in banking because it is such a people-driven job. The two most important things to people are their health and their money, so as bankers we hold a very important position in the eyes of our customers.
For example, if someone is going through a challenging time, we're here to talk to them about loan options, or we can even help them with refinancing if that's what's best for their situation. But it's not just crises we help with—we see people coming in for happy things in life, like buying a home or adding their new spouse to their account because they just got married. Those are big moments in peoples' lives, and I'm proud to be a part of them as their banker.
What inspires you at work?
A passion of mine is helping my employees grow and doing what I can to help them achieve their professional goals. There are so many different opportunities in banking, and being there to help others grow and learn new things is not only good for them, but it benefits our customers as we all become better bankers in the process.
What's something surprising someone wouldn't know about you?
I am the king of Dad jokes. We used to have Jacob's Joke of the Day at the bank during our Friday morning huddles, and if they were bad, I had to put a dollar into the branch lunch fund. I have to admit, my bad-Dad jokes funded a lot of lunches!
What don't people realize their local bank can do for them?
I think people don't realize their community bank can help with things like mortgages and home-equity loans. Just because we are smaller than the “megabanks,” doesn't mean we can't offer the same services. In fact, you can apply for a mortgage online at Citizens Bank, and being a local bank allows us to provide amazing customer services on these larger products.
What do you love to do outside of work?
I love to go golfing, it's a great way to relieve stress. Although some days golf makes my stress levels worse because I'm pretty stressed when I don't play well! We also have two rescue dogs and we're always going on walks to the neighborhood park.
I also love being home with my wife, taking care of the yard, traveling, and visiting family. I'm from Cincinnati originally, so we're back and forth visiting a lot. When we want to relax, my wife and I love to head to our favorite Mexican restaurant in Zionsville, the Salty Cowboy.
Cincinnati… Does that mean you are a Reds fan?
Yes, I love baseball (and the Reds)! I played in college for a year, so when I lived in Cincinnati I'd go to 20 or 30 games a year. I used to joke with my wife that she could rest assured I was a loyal guy because I'm a Cincinnati sports fan.