Three weeks ago I walked into a bank straight to the customer service in order to inquire details such as — stability, time they cleared checks, interest rates, check processing rates, location of branch from my office, location of ATM, phone banking, availability of transactions via internet, customer service, etc. to help me decide if I would open an account with them.
A business no-no
More than five minutes have passed and I have not asked a single question because the two customer service people were busy chatting with another banker on what seemed to be non-business related conversation. I called out the attention of the customer service person and she signaled me to wait, after which she picked up the phone and started an all smile chat. I was getting impatient and instead went to the teller asking her just one question on whether they had internet banking service capable of all bank transactions; she informed me they did not have any kind of internet banking. That was it; I stood up and went out of the bank without the customer service noticing how disappointed I was.
The bank personnel was horrible and remained consistent to their low ranking among the banks in our country, and the only reason that attracted me to inquire was their location, providing me a lot of convenience in terms of logistics. I ended up opening an account with a bank three blocks away from the closest parking lot.
What’s the difference between the two?
The bank I ended up opening an account despite requiring me to walk three blocks from the parking lot had everyone from the security guard to the person that was in charge of my new account all smiles helping me the best way they can. I was happy with their service from clearing of checks, no charge check processing, high interest rates, robust internet banking capabilities, stable, etc. Their personnel from the security guard to everyone else validated their top ranking in the country.
Another business comparison
In our neighborhood just a block away from where I live, stood two prominent grocery stores that are in direct competition against each other. One of them is named More than Groceries (MTG) and the other is Ministop. MTG is twice the size of Ministop and sell goods much cheaper than Ministop; however, Ministop is always filled with customers while MTG has already put various stalls like BBQ, Coffee Shop, Spa (2nd floor) to attract customers but to no avail.
What’s the difference between the two?
I walk into MTG and a not so friendly looking security guard asks me to leave my bag in the counter. The store layout did not help me find goods I need and from time to time they re-arrange locations that add burden to my purchase. They have three counters but only utilize one no matter how many people are already lining up. When you pay with big amounts, they would complain and tell you they don’t have the change to break your money and they would not care if you left the goods instead and head for Ministop. The buying experience at Ministop is exactly the opposite of MTG and even though they have a smaller space, and higher prices on goods, people come in and out of their store tons loads more than MTG.
How you treat your customers goes a long way towards your business success. Customer care less no matter how good and cheap your product offerings are. Treat them exceptionally well and your products’ value dramatically increases.
[tags]Business[/tags]
What's the Difference Between Those Two Businesses
