Submitted by: Abby Bruno, Recruiting Manager
“Helping people is our business.” These are words we live by every single day here at TMX Finance® Family of Companies. When a large population of our customers in a market only speak Spanish, that purpose does not change. As a recruiter for the Texas market, I know first-hand that one of our priorities is making sure that our stores are ready to help ALL of our customers. We do so by finding great talent that can not only provide a top notch customer experience, but who can do so in Spanish! This diversity among our employees and customers is what sets us apart. This month we take the time to celebrate that diversity with National Hispanic Heritage Month.
National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15th until October 15th, was started in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as a way to honor the culture, history and achievements of citizens of Hispanic descent. According to the US Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2015, 56.6 million people in the United States identified as Hispanic with an estimated projection that the number will grow to 119 million by 2060.
Looking strictly at numbers, in 2015, 40 million U.S. residents over the age of 5 alone spoke Spanish at home. In some of our footprint, from El Paso to Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth, a majority of our customers feel more comfortable speaking and performing transactions in Spanish rather than in English. District Director of Operations (DDO), Daniel Walters, shared his thoughts with me on the importance of being bilingual in one of those markets:
“Being bilingual in our industry is a must. Hispanic customers feel very comfortable communicating in their language. They feel a better sense of trust when they can understand you better. Being able to explain a contract alone can make the difference for our customers. We are a proud culture and Spanish is a must.”
Dan Callahan, a DDO in our Houston market, also shared his thoughts, saying, “Having a Spanish speaker in the store creates an instant comfort zone and quick bond for our Hispanic customers! Customers feel much more comfortable executing a loan with a team member who understands and can easily communicate with them.” Going the extra mile to make sure we foster trust and comfort with our customers is the most important factor in making sure that everyone has a great and positive experience.
This month we want to make sure we take the time to celebrate all of those with Hispanic heritage, from our customers to our employees to those in the communities we serve. We are dedicated to continuing to focus on diversity of all kinds among our TMX Family, as well as on providing the best experience possible to all our customers.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month from the TMX Finance® Family of Companies!