An Opportunity Lost

Friday I had an experience that I would like to blog about. And since I told the marketing dept that I would probably blog and did not receive a response back from the company I’d better hold true that.

Here is the email I sent to the marketing department of a local banking institution.

This afternoon I went to one of your branches on Center Drive in Medford and used the ATM machine as it is right next to where I work. The machine would only distribute $20 bills and I needed some $5’s. I paid the ATM’s $2 service charge since I am not a member and walked inside to get change. I was told that they could not give me change unless I was a member.

Now I was not asking to cash a check or anything. I just had $20 in cash and needed some $5’s. I thought that this was terrible marketing. In fact I had been wanting to open an account at your credit union since it is so close to my work but have just not had the time. Now I am sure that I don’t want to use your company.

I did think “maybe all banks have this policy”. So I drove a few miles to my bank, walked in, asked for some $5’s and got it. No questions, just smiles. And I never go into my bank so the people did not have any idea that I banked with them.

Being from a marketing and sales background I know that this could have went much differently. Think about if this had happened. I walk in and say to the teller “can I get some $5’s please?” She says “you know we normally reserve that only for our members. Would you like to open an account? It only takes a few minutes?” (Here she has attempted to gain me as a customer at least) “I don’t have time right now” Teller says, “That’s alright, I’ll go ahead and make the change for you since you are a potential member and I’ll give you some information on our credit union” I say’ “That would be great”. Teller says, “If you are interested fill out the paperwork at home and then when you bring it in it will only take a few minutes to set up the account”

I walk away happy and will probably become a member.

Instead I am using my lunch break to write this and will go back to work and tell everyone what happened and this weekend will probably blog about the experience.

I will not mention the name of the bank as I will give them a little more time to respond. However, I would like to mention Sterling Savings Bank is my current primary bank and they were the ones that gave me the change without any questions. However, they did not find out if I was a current customer either. I think they should have used that opportunity as well.

How does this experience relate to you and your small business? Remember that every customer wants to feel special. This bank could have made me feel special by ‘bending the rules’ per say in order to gain my business.   And it probably would have worked.  How do you make your customers feel special.

In your marketing plan you should uitlize the sales acronym ABC…Aways Be Selling. Every interaction with potential customers is an opportunity to move them one step closer to making them a paying customer.