The Yes Bank

It's old news that treatment of so many consumers by "customer service" folks is at a low these days.  Most of what is intended to pass for customer service is anything but.  Most companies operate in big contrast to Commerce Bank, which calls itself the Yes Bank (even their phone number is 1 800 YES 2000).  No matter what you ask for, they're trained to figure out how they can say yes, how they can accommodate whatever your little heart desires.  It doesn’t mean you get it.  It means they make an effort, and usually the answer is, in fact, yes.  In fact, I'm told it takes two Commerce people to say no!

I attended a meeting this morning of a dozen business leaders in New York and when the subject of retail banking came up, I swear two of us sounded like Commerce employees.  It was contagious; Commerce must have gotten at least two new customers as a result.  Powerful example of how evangelistic marketing works.  This is word-of-mouth marketing as it was intended.  I create such programs for a living, yet I'm still amazed at how powerful the process is.