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I only use a credit union.
For 100% of my "banking" needs. Saving, checking, credit cards, mortgage.
I have no clue why anyone would use the "services" of a bank.
Probably because not everyone is eligible to join a credit union. When I was married, my wife was a member of one because she is an RN and her hospital was part of the group. We got many benefits from it, loans, good savings returns, etc. But when we got divorced I was no longer on that plan and had to go to traditional banking.
I only use a credit union.
For 100% of my "banking" needs. Saving, checking, credit cards, mortgage.
I have no clue why anyone would use the "services" of a bank.
Ditto.
I go inside my credit union once a month. They have never offered or asked to look over my account or do anything other than what I go in for. If they did, I would not be happy.
In Maine we have TD Bank. It used to be Peoples and local folks still call it Peoples. Going in is an enjoyable experience. They greet you by name. They have a drive through and an ATM locally, but I like going in to the bank. It's a busy branch and Maine people still patronize local banks.
I know, the bank is now foreign owned like so much of our country, but TD Bank has a sign that says, "America's friendliest bank". They earned it.
I agree with you on TD. They provide a very good service, don't rape you with fees, and make you WANT to do business with them.
On the other end of the scale?> Bank of America: High fees, lousy service, constant "let's see if we 'can lower your costs' by providing more services upon which we can collect more fees ". They just make you want to avoid them at every possible turn.
A smart bank, like the credit unions i deal with, would provide prompt service in a friendly manner. They wouldn't treat you like an idiot who couldn't possibly know that 'they could earn you higher rates if you opened a stock brokerage account with them'. They won't gouge you with fees, will act to provide a high level of service for the obscene money they earn off of your balances (for which they pay you virtually nothing).
It's a bank: greet me when i walk in, promptly attend to my business, make me feel like you WANT me to be there, don't ask me to show an ID so i can withdraw $200 from my account, which you have had for ten years, and thank me for being a customer when i leave.
It's really simple. I don't need to hear about all of the things (new accounts, credit cards, insurance, stock brokerage) which you can do to earn more fees from me. I DON'T CARE, to quote a famous line. Just provide me with solid banking services at a releasable price. And NO, i am NOT YOUR FRIEND. I am your customer and you should be kissing my a$$ to have my business.
I have been with the same bank for the past 20 years, they started out as one name and were bought out by a larger bank, but essentially the same bank. Anyway, every time I go in to do some business the cashiers are constantly saying "Let me look over your accounts to see if there is anything we might be able to add for you." I politely say each time, "No, they ask me that every time I am in here and I am fine, thank you." Even when I call on the phone they do the same thing.
While I realize they are trying to sell some additional services to me, it is simply the fact that they do it over and over and over again. It makes them look cheap and desperate, IMO. It actually makes me dread going in, and I try to do all my business through the ATM.
Is anyone else turned off by this ?
Don
Go to a credit union. You'll usually get better rates on everything. Over a lifetime, it adds up. To boot, you're not giving money to some scumbag bank.
I finally dumped my big bank because of this. At the drive thru they would always push for me to come in and register for this, sign up for that. I am in the drive thru because I don't want to come in. Newer, smaller bank doesn't hassle me....
When i worked as a teller we were pressured to get sales on things. I was able to do it in a more selective way. I wouldn't make a big point of mentioning it to the customer but I was able to spot some who could actually save fees.
For example if you had $20,000 in a checking account. If you opened a savings account and linked them you'd get no atm fees and free checks. So I'd say something "If you don't have immediate plans for that money you could save some fees and get some benefits by moving some of it to a savings account". But we were a small branch where it was just me and the head teller. We had good memories and would only offer things like that once and would not keep pushing it every time you came in.
I would get harassed by the sales manager after people left sometimes because they didn't hear me trying to sell. I'd push back saying "I asked her Monday. I'm not going to ask the same person everyday..". They weren't happy about it but i managed to get just enough things sold with my methods they couldn't give me too much trouble about it
^^^^^^ I've suspected exactly what you just confirmed, that the tellers are pressured to become sales people too and are expected to sell a certain amount of programs to keep their jobs. It is like where I work, the cashiers are constantly being told to sell extended warranties and memberships. I realize that there is a good reason for them doing that, but when it is shoved down your throat every time you come in it gets to the point of enough is enough.
When I went into big XYZ Bank (with which I had never dealt before) to pay my car loan, a guy asked if I wanted a free checking account and save 0.25% on the car loan by having the payment drafted each month. I said "Yeah!". So there's an example of being offered a product that helped me out.
I deal with 4 different banks (long story) and sometimes the tellers where buttons that say stuff like "Ask me how you can SAVE MONEY on [services]". None of them are really pushy about upselling.
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