Fran graduated from Lewisville High School and got married right after graduation. She attended both York Tech and then USC-Lancaster and during that time their first child arrived. She worked at Harris Teeter in Lancaster from 1982 until it closed, which is when she decided to come into First Citizens Bank to apply for a job. Fran has been at First Citizen’s Bank since then. Fran has two children; her eldest daughter is nurse at MUSC-Lancaster and her son will be 30 this year and he works for Sea World.
Fran’s doctors recommended that she stay home during the pandemic because of her low immune system and being diabetic, but she went to work every day. Although her medical conditions add extra stress to her position, she has taken precautions to ensure her safety and the safety of her customers. First Citizens has continued to stay open throughout the pandemic and everyone there has been worked collectively to provide the best customer service under the circumstances.
There has been an extreme influx in drive thru customers, leaving 4-6 tellers working constantly on drive thru windows to keep traffic going but, she says customers have been patient and understanding of the wait times. Elderly customers were nervous about the drive thru the first time they did it. Fran said getting used to the “tubes” was an adjustment for these customers. Now, she believes even as the virus begins to slow down, many of these same people will use the drive thru more and more because they found out they actually like it. The hardest part for customers once they got used to the drive thru was getting change through the tubes. To ensure her customers the best service, she would meet them at the door for change orders.
The main lobby has been open for a month; however, they’re only allowing 10 people inside the bank at the time. They also have shields up and markers on the floors to keep people a safe distance apart. Even with the lobby reopening, some people still feel safer using the drive thru.
Although Fran says she is glad to be nominated, every day she just shows up for work and does her best to continue to serve her community. Customer service is very important to her and she takes pride in truly taking care of the people who count on her, no matter what the circumstances. Fran simply added making her customers feel safe to what she was already doing – taking care of whomever walks through the doors at First Citizen’s.
