Art and Lidia Gomez have discovered First Service Bank has a lot to offer, including friendly and personalized service delivered by caring professionals as well as opportunities to travel.
The two went on a couple of one-day trips with First Service several years ago and started more regularly traveling last year with the First Service Travel Club. They recently enjoyed a trip to Maine with about 40 other club members. “That was a nice trip. I really enjoyed it,” Lidia said.
The couple commented that the First Service trips are well planned and organized. “We really enjoy that because First Service Bank makes travel easy for us,” Lidia said, adding that some of the bus drivers are familiar with the areas and share information along the way. “We get on the bus and we’re able to really enjoy what we’re looking at. We are going to different places we’ve never been to.”
Organization is key when traveling with such large groups. “You would think it would take forever for everyone to get on and off the bus, but it doesn’t,” Lidia said. “Everybody is in such a good mood and ready to be taken wherever.”
In addition to seeing and experiencing interesting sights, travel club members develop a special relationship with one another. “It becomes like a little family for a week or for however many days you are traveling together,” Lidia said, describing the group as tight-knit.
“It’s just amazing. I just love going on those trips,” she said.
Lidia and Art are both retired from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. They moved to the Greenbrier area eight years ago, but have enjoyed visiting it the last 15 years or so. Their son’s job brought him to area and when Lidia and Art visited Central Arkansas, it was “love at first sight so you could say,” according to Lidia.
“We were just so tickled with Arkansas, the mannerisms, the people, the kindness. We felt like we came to a different planet,” Lidia said, describing the area as “the best kept secret.” She jokingly said the couple is reluctant to share with others how wonderful Arkansas is when they return to California for visits out of concern that others will move to the state.
Art and Lidia have been with First Service Bank for about three years and describe the staff as “friendly, professional and welcoming.” The couple’s interest in the travel club began when they noticed a banner in front of the First Service location in Greenbrier that stated “Come travel with us.”
“I told Art, ‘We need to check in to that because that would eliminate a lot of driving for you,’ ” Lidia said, explaining that the couple enjoyed RV traveling but were ready for trips where they could relax more as well as work and drive less.
“We’ve done a lot of traveling in our RV,” Art said, adding that he enjoys all the conveniences that the First Service Travel Club has to offer – great travel opportunities minus the worries associated with planning a trip on your own.
After noticing the banner, the couple stopped in at the First Service location in South Conway and met Ina Standridge, director of the First Service Travel Club. They noticed “a positive vibe in that bank” and decided to open an account to give First Service a try. “We really liked it,” Lidia said, adding that today their relationship with First Service includes checking and savings accounts as well as CDs.
“The employees know us by our name,” Art said of the personalized service they enjoy at First Service.
“The disposition of every universal banker doesn’t change,” Lidia said. “They are all happy people.”
Art and Lidia were excited to learn about the trips planned for 2023, which include four extended trips and four one-day excursions, and to begin planning their travel in the new year.
In the meantime, they feel like with First Service Bank they are in “good hands” when it comes to their banking needs as well as travel opportunities.
To learn more about the First Service Travel Club or to sign up, visit firstservicebank.com/about/travelers.
