Before you read this post please think about your brand. What does your brand represent and are you and your employees constantly looking for ways to improve or align better with your own brand?
Now continue reading.
I love the recent availability of envelope free ATM machines. And while they are a little slower than “shove deposit into envelope, insert into slot” they do help in the worldwide effort to be a “green” corporate citizen.
A couple of weeks ago I walked into an ATM vestibule and needed to endorse a check. No pens. Yep, when the envelopes were eliminated so were the pens. Although inside the TD Bank branch there are enough pens to stretch from one end of CT to the other – the long way.
So I did what any customer might do…..popped my head into the branch manager’s office, told her I love the new machine but mentioned how the pen would be “convenient.” They still have them at the ATM’s using envelopes.
Enthusiastically she said “That’s a great idea. I am going to bring it up at the regional manager’s meeting next week.” I just shook my head.
You see TD Bank brands itself as America’s Most “Convenient” Bank. Well if you’re going to brand yourself as “the most convenient” shouldn’t you be looking for new ways to make it even more convenient for me? What if it was after branch/store hours and I wanted to make the deposit? Haven’t we all had checks returned for not endorsing them?
So yesterday when I popped in to make a deposit at the window I was asked how I was today. I said I would be better if you made it convenient for me and put some pens in the ATM lobby.
I was given every reason why there aren’t any:
- We’re not allowed (So they’re going to fire you if you put some out there and test an idea?)
- We don’t have approval (if you need approval to put a pen outside and to make a customer’s life a bit more convenient that is just pathetic)
- People will take the pens. (You’ve got 6,000,000 inside)
Don’t get me wrong, I like TD Bank. They’ve actually provided me with one of the best banking experiences I have had in my lifetime. But when you brand yourself a certain way and leave yourself wide open to people challenging you on your brand statement, you shouldn’t need a manager’s meeting, a committee, 102 signatures or a test market to make your customers happy.
