At Advance Financial, family matters, and it shows in everything we do. We value our customers and employees from the moment they walk through the door because they are the reasons for our company’s success. We are constantly working to provide a warm and welcoming environment that makes our employees and our customers feel like they are a part of a large, caring family. Here’s how we do it:
1. We’re family-owned and operated.
Advance Financial’s chairman and CEO Mike and Tina Hodges are husband and wife, and they run the business together as a great team. Mike and Tina even involve their three kids in the business, bringing them to visit the office and learn about the company.
We also view the Nashville community as an extension of our family. Many of the members of our leadership team and vendors we work with are born and raised Nashvillians. This is a locally grown business and with so much support from the Nashville community, we feel like one big, happy family.
2. We get to know each other like family.
Mike and Tina make a point to meet and learn about each and every employee. They will visit stores to interact with the teams, give out flowers for Mother’s Day or deliver treats on other special occasions. They want to show they care about their employees, and they don’t want any individual to feel insignificant.
3. We support each other like family.
The company has set up a fund to help all of our employees in need. With the Corporate Care Fund, employees contribute through payroll deduction and Advance Financial matches those contributions dollar for dollar. All employees are qualified to receive support from the fund when faced with a sudden and large financial burden. Contributions can be used to cover housing, utilities, healthcare, and other necessary costs.
4. We communicate like family.
Just like any family, we want to be a support system for our employees. Instead of the “chain of command” approach to internal communication, we prefer to run our large company as if it were still a small business, encouraging employees to voice any questions or concerns they have with any member of the company, even with Mike or Tina. We understand that mistakes happen, and we want to be able to resolve issues and learn from them together.
5. Customers are treated like family too.
Every person who walks into a store or contacts our call center is greeted with a smile and a friendly, “Welcome to Advance Financial, how may I help you?” We aren’t just putting on a good face, we genuinely care what each person needs – financially and emotionally – and we try to understand them on a personal level.
We work to learn about our customers’ backgrounds, circumstances, and goals, making sure they feel heard and valued. Then, we can successfully guide them through each step of the loan process, supporting them and helping them find confidence in their financial future. We do not give up on our customers, just like we would not give up on our family members.
Even with our ever-growing family, we continue to keep up with our core values no matter how large we get. After all, our employees wouldn’t stay with us for 15, 10 or even 5 years if they didn’t feel valued. We want them to know that, whether they are at home or at work, they have a family who has their backs.
