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Study completed September, 2006

Cypress Research Group Patricia J. Cirillo, Ph.D.

21403 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 106 Beachwood, OH 44122 (216) 295-9764 pat@cypress-research.com

Survey of Customers of FiSCA 

Member Organizations

Member Presentation

October 8, 2006
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Introduction

Background & Objectives

• Repeat of 2000 Survey

Objectives of the current study:

•Determine who are FiSCA customers (demographic 

characteristics).

•Describe customer use of FiSCA member stores.

•Determine this use of FiSCA stores compare to use of banks. 

•Determine types of financial services that are used and desired

•Measure customer satisfaction and perceived value based on cost.

•What are relative weaknesses and strengths?

•What weaknesses are most important for FiSCA members to 

address for their customers’ satisfaction?
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Introduction

Methods

• An ‘intercept interview’ method was used at store locations. 

• Professional interviewers completed the surveys via a faceto-face, in-store interview. 

• All respondents (n=1003) were interviewed in the lobby (or 

just outside the door) of FiSCA member stores. 

• All respondents were given a $1.00 lottery ticket (scratchoff type) as a small token of appreciation for completing the 

survey. 

• Data collected in July, August, and early September of 

2006. 

•Mostly on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
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Introduction

Sampling Frame

• Total sample = 1003. (margin-of-error of +/- 3%). 

• The data were collected in 11 different geographic markets:

•Seattle (one store); n=90

•Philadelphia (one store); n=90

•Los Angeles (three stores); n=92

•San Francisco (two stores); n=90

•Minneapolis/St. Paul (one store); n=91

•Dallas (two stores); n=90

•Houston (three stores); n=90

•New York City (two stores); n=98

•Chicago (two stores); n=90

•Miami (two stores); n=90

•Virginia (Woodbridge and Petersburg, two stores nearby 

military bases); n=92
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Who Are Your Customers?
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Who Are Your Customers?

•Males and females in equal numbers. 

•One-third are married, but about half are single (nevermarried). 

•Almost all are employed, and mostly full-time (85%). 

•They are relatively young – two-thirds are adults under the 

age of 45. Very few (2%) are seniors. 

•They are low-income. Half have household annual incomes 

below $30,000.

•They achieve higher education levels lower than the 

national average – 20% have a college degree.

•They are very racially diverse: 41% African American, 

31% Hispanic/Latino; 21% White. 
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Customer Use of Stores
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Customer Tenure & Visitation Frequency

• For the most part, store customers show a fair 

amount of customer loyalty. Sixty-three percent 

had been regular customers of “their store” for at 

least one year. 

• Store visitation frequency is high, and appears to be 

increasing. In 2006, we see that more (50%) of 

customers reported once-a-week visits, compared to 

40% in 2000.

•Due to product mix increase?
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Main Reason for Store Visitation 

10%

1%

9%

12%

12%

14%

42%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Other

Long Distance

Phone Card

Money Wire

Transfers

Bill Payment

Payday Loans

Money Orders

Check Cashing

% of Customers

• Customers visit 

stores for varied 

reasons. 
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Customer Use of Financial Services,

Including Banks and Credit Unions
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Use of Financial Products & Services – From Any Source

24%

5%

21%

17%

58%

60%

20%

21%

28%

31%

58%

73%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Payday Loans

ATM Access

Electronic Bill

Payment Services

Money Wire

Transfers

Money Orders

Check Cashing

2006 Study

2000 Study

% of Customers
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4%

1%

14%

2%

5%

7%

10%

12%

16%

17%

18%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Car Title Loan

Motor Vehicle License Plate & Title

Distribution

Electronic Tax Preparation & Filing

Pre-Paid Cellular Phone

Long Distance Phone Card

Public Transportation Fare & Token

Sales

Bank Withdrawals / Balance Inquiries

2006 Study

2000 Study

% of Customers

(not asked in 2000)

(not asked in 2000)

(not asked in 2000)

Use of Financial Products & Services – From Any Source
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Preference for Your Stores

• 64% of your customers cash their checks mainly 

with you. 36% do that somewhere else (mostly 

banks). 

• 79% of your customers get their money orders 

mainly from you.

• Money wire transfers – 77%

• Electronic bill payment -66%

• Payday Loans – 91%

• ATM Access – 16%
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Incidence of Checking & Savings Accounts

42%

35%

9%

14%

42%

33%

4%

21%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

NEITHER a

Checking Nor

Savings Account

BOTH Checking

and Savings Account

Savings Account

Checking Account

2006 Study

2000 Study n = 928 

% of Customers

• Over half (58%) of the 

respondents had either a 

checking account, a savings 

account, or both at the time of 

the survey. This level has 

remained unchanged since 

2000.
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Use of Checking & Savings Accounts

• To be able to write checks, debit cards and ATM cards 

(34%)

• To use Direct Deposit (16%)

• Bank is close and convenient (16%)

• Need account to direct pay bills (12%)

• For savings (9%)

• Over half (58%) of the respondents had either a checking 

account, a savings account, or both at the time of the 

survey. This level has remained unchanged since 2000.

Why Have A Bank Account?
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Use of Checking & Savings Accounts

• Don’t like banks/Had a bad experience (24%)

• No funds available/Had to close account (18%)

• High fees/High minimum balance (15%)

• Moved/Personal reasons (14%)

• Was overdrawn (6%)

Why Stop Having A Bank Account?
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Customer Choice of Financial Service Providers
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Why Use A FiSCA Member Store? 

16%

18%

18%

34%

37%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Other

More Products &

Services Offered

Lower Fees

Better Service

Better Hours

Convenient Location

% of Customers

• You are a convenience 

business:

• Good locations

• Accessible hours of 

operation

• Quick service
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Cost – Banks vs. FiSCA Member Stores

Banks Are More Expensive 23%

Banks Are Less Expensive 21%

Banks Charge Less Fees For Bank Customer 1%

Prices Are The Same Or Similar 15%

Other/Not Sure 20%

• Split over relative costs of stores vs. banks.
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Availability of Deposit Accounts at FiSCA Stores

Aware of Availability of 

Depositary Accounts?

No , 86%

Not Sure, 

6%

Yes, 8%

• Few (8%) were aware that 

stores could offer interestearning deposit accounts 

where available.

Very, 14%

Somewhat, 35% Not At All, 37%

Not Sure, 14%

Interest In Government-Insured Savings 

Account at (FiSCA store)

• While awareness of such a 

product is low, interest in it is 

a bit higher. 
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Sources for Short-Term Loans

Q4f. If you are in need of a small, short-term loan, say $300 for just a few 

weeks, where do you go to meet that need? 

Current Outlet 32%

Family Member 17%

Bank 13%

Do Not Borrow Or Do Not Need 8%

Friend 6%

Loan Company Or Payday Loan 6%

Cash Advance On Credit Card 1%

Loan Shark 1%

Employer 1%

Other 6%

DK 18%

• The #1 choice of source for small, short-term loans 

“current outlet” (payday)
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End-User Customer Relationship To FiSCA

• While awareness of “FiSCA” is very low, customers do 

care about such an association, and will make purchase 

decisions based on that awareness.

More Likely, 

34%

Wouldn't 

Matter, 51%

Not Sure, 

15%

Would you be more or less likely to use a store which is a FiSCA member, or 

wouldn’t it matter to you?
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FiSCA Code of Conduct

Payday Loan Customers Only, n=182 

Most Important Feature of Code of Conduct

7%

10%

13%

18%

42%

43%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Limit Rollovers Of A Payday Advance To

No More Than 4

Integrity In Collection Practices

Never Threatening To File Criminal

Charges For Default On Debt

Allow Customers To Cancel Payday

Advance Within 24 Hours

Truthful & Clear Advertising

Educate Consumers About Services &

Proper & Improper Use Of Payday

Advances

% of Customers

Communication issues, 

not policy or procedure 

issues.
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Customer Satisfaction
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Overall Value Ratings

3%

10%

24%

38%

26%

1%

8%

27%

26%

39%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very Good

Excellent

2006 Study

2000 Study

% of Customers

• Top-two-box score of 

75% is stable from 2000 

levels (74%). 
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©FiSCA 2006. All data are property of FiSCA and prior permission is required for reproduction of this material.

1%

1%

5%

14%

36%

45%

1%

1%

2%

19%

28%

50%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not sure

Poor

Fair

Good

Very Good

Excellent

2006 Study

2000 Study

% of Customers

Overall Service Ratings

• Top-two-box score of 

78% is stable from 2000 

levels (81%). 
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What do customers like best?

2000 

Survey

2006 

Survey

Convenience Of Location, Hours 38% 33%

Customer Service 21% 25%

Friendly Employees 18% 21%

Fast & Easy 21% 18%

Hours of Service 6% 8%

Like Everything & All Ok 5%

Like Procedures and Policies 5%

Physical Plant & Good Parking 4%

Rates, Fees 2%

Quick Access To Cash 2%

Security 1%

Other 19% 3%

Do Not Know 3%
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2000 

Survey

2006 

Survey

Nothing/Don't Know 60% 73%

Under-staffed: Long Lines, Poor Staff 11% 10%

Rates & Fees 15% 5%

Hours, Location 5% 3%

Security of Location 1%

Bad Parking, Physical Plant, Cleanliness 5%

Discourteous Employees 3% 1%

Other 7% 3%

What do customers like least?

What should be improved? More tellers (12%); Lower fees (7%).
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53 %

51%

56 %

3 7%

3 5%

55%

58 %

6 0 %

54 %

6 2 %

57%

6 4 %

6 0 %

55%

4 9 %

6 4 %

55%

2 2 %

2 4 %

3 3 %

2 2 %

4 0 %

2 4 %

3 2 %

2 1%

3 1%

2 0 %

3 2 %

2 0 %

3 0 %

2 5%

3 9 %

2 0 %

3 4 %

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

2006

2000

 %'Excellent' % 'Very Good'

Products & Services Ratings

How would you rate [current outlet] on...?

Convenient Locations

Convenient Hours of Operations

Treat Customers With Respect & Courtesy

Helpful Employees

In & Out Of Store Quickly

Has Products & Services Needed

Charges Reasonable Fees For Products/Services

Offers A Safe Environment

Clearly Communicates All Costs Of Products & Services

89%

84%

88%

80%

90%

84%

89%

82%

85%

81%

90%

79%

85%

59%

89%

75%

75%

(not asked in 2000)
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Strategic Improvement Analysis

Convenient Locations 1 7

Treat Customers With Respect & Courtesy 2 3*

Helpful Employees 3 1*

In & Out Of Store Quickly 4 2*

Convenient Hours of Operations 5 9

Has Products & Services Needed 6 8

Offers A Safe Environment 7 5

Clearly Communicates All Costs Of Products/Services 8 4*

Charges Reasonable Fees For Products/Services 9 6

Performance 

Rank

Importance 

Rank

Key Action Item

Keep It Up

Keep It Up

Keep It Up

*Statistically significant drivers of overall satisfaction with service. 
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Potential Additional Products and Services
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Additional Products & Services

• Checking & savings accounts (2.6%)

• Vending machines & refreshments (2.4%)

• ATM (2.3%)

TOP-OF-MIND RESPONSES
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•Physical location is of paramount importance to customers. 

•“Easy in/Easy out;” Ample, well-lit, and close parking. 

•Customers demand a high level of service, and the definition of 

‘good service’ is ‘quick service.’

•Stores which have tellers who clearly demonstrate a strong 

and consistent commitment to minimizing customers’ length 

of time in the store will be the most successful stores. 

•Find the best tellers you can, train them well, and do what you 

need to do to keep them. They have a strong relationship with 

your customers, and in many cases, they are the reason that 

customers come back to you, week after week. 

Recommendations
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•Consider alternative ways to minimize length of lines 

during peak hours (e.g., having separate lines for quick 

transactions). 

•Customers appreciate information. Clearly 

communicate your fees and/or terms in as many ways as 

you can, and do so often and in many ways.

•It is difficult to communicate too much or in too many 

different ways. 

Recommendations
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•Customers did not show a great demand for additional 

products and services, and the offering of additional 

products and services can have the effect of slowing 

down service for all customers. 

•Beware trying to be “all things to all people.” That 

being said, customers did show some interest in 

depositary accounts, and especially the convenience of 

the services those accounts can provide (check writing, 

bill paying, and ATM access). Expanded bill payment 

services is another high potential growth area. 

Recommendations
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•Customers are attracted to stores which show affiliation 

with some governing body.

• They want governance, but not necessarily from the 

government.

•We observed many stores which need improvement 

aesthetically. Stores must improve the neighborhood, 

not suggest decline in the neighborhood. For almost all 

of your customers, you are located in their very 

neighborhood. Be good community citizens not only by 

providing excellent service, but by respecting your 

customers’ neighborhoods enough to have aesthetically 

pleasing stores. 

Recommendations
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New misunderstanding:

•Recent DOD report has wrongly suggested to 

legislators that a 36% A.P.R. is a rate that the many 

industry members charge. Legislators outside of 

‘dark states’ typically don’t understand that no 

payday loan provider has been able to operate 

profitability at that rate. They point to states with 

very low interest caps and assume that there are 

‘brick and mortar’ providers operating 

successfully. 

PDA Legislative Issues