Page 28 - 638271 IBAT with links for Flip Book_v3

IS YOUR BANK PROVIDING
EXCELLENT SERVICE?

IF YOU SAY IT’S SO…

uring 40-plus years a checking account. I said I was
in banking, my expe- moving to town and I also casu-
rience has been that ally mentioned a $200,000 CD
touting a company’s coming due at another bank in a
“excellent customer ser- month. What do you think hap-
vice” is most often mere- pened?
ly a buzz phrase used by market- The results were not what
ing departments without much they wanted or expected. Al-
evidence to back up such a claim. though their employees were very
This was brought to mind re- friendly, only a few asked for my
cently when my company went name. There was no attempt to
through a grueling and tedious gather information so that they
five-year process to achieve the could follow up with me or ask
Arkansas Governor’s Quality me for my business. This is not
Award, modeled after the Mal- unusual. What normally hap-
colm Baldridge Awards for Qual- pens is that employees will tell
ity. In that process, I learned me what they offer—without real-
one very important thing: If you ly understanding my needs—and
stake a claim to something and when I say I want to think about
say that it is true, prove it. So if it, they smile and say, “Thank
your bank touts the best custom- you, here’s my card, call me if I
er service, the friendliest tellers can help you.” Given that this ap-
in town, the most responsive loan pears to be the norm, how many
officers, the best online banking, millions of dollars have walked
etc., can you prove it? into your lobby and back out the
In most cases, as bankers we door? These are lost opportuni-
don’t really know—we just think ties for the bank because man-
we know. If you don’t have pro- agement doesn’t know what’s re-
cesses in place to measure what ally happening. This isn’t the
you’re doing, it’s impossible to case at your bank, you say? I say
know. Case in point: In a recent prove it! You might be unpleasant-
shoppers experience conduct- ly surprised.
ed for a client, I went into each of So what are the steps for prov‑
their branches with the scenar- ing your bank provides excellent
io of being interested in opening service?

28 | THE TEXAS INDEPENDENT BANKER