The Little Things Matter

A recent event has prompted this short addendum to my previous post "Seek first Not To Offend":

I'm an account holder at a giant bank which has recently merged with an even larger bank. I'm constantly bombarded with signs, emails, ads and letters telling me how fortunate I am -  the customer service I'll receive will be second to none.  Why is it then, that every time I walk into my branch, there seems to be a new set of tellers? New tellers who don't know me from a hole in the wall, and treat me accordingly.

This morning I walked into my branch to cash a check. When I got to the counter, the teller's first statement to me was "Do you have an account with (our bank)?" I resisted the urge to howl with frustration, and asked her to examine the back of the check, where she would find my account number, just under my signature. Tellers are required to look for signatures before cashing checks anyway.

There's an old phrase my bank (and most  businesses) need to consider: "Show me, don't tell me." The ten thousand times I've been told I'll receive spectacular service was rendered null and void in the span of one sentence by a teller who spoke before she thought.

Small businesses don't have the same advertising budgets as mega-corporations, but we can compete where it matters: In the little things we do every day.