The New Face of Banking?

I don’t like to complain when I’m in an establishment when I have received poor service, because I don’t want to be looked at as a problem customer (especially if it’s a business I frequent).) That all changed, last week when I went to my bank to get a gift card. First let me give you a brief overview of TD Bank.  TD Bank is a relatively new bank in the Maryland/DC area (over the last 5 years they have expanded at a rapid rate) they are more prevalent up north. When I moved to Maryland I decided that it was a good idea to open an account locally, as my credit union is located in Newport News, and my bank is located in Richmond VA. I absolutely love the amenities that are provided for customers of TD Bank. They offer on-line bill pay, 24 hour automated telephone banking, but it doesn’t stop there, 24 hours a day you can speak with an actual person about any issue that you may encounter, you don’t have to listen to automated messages someone will literally answer the phone. This is where TD bank excels its average market competitors, they are open 7 days a week, M-F 8am-5pm, the drive thru is open until 8pm, and on weekends they are open for roughly 6 hours (this is approx.)

Now that you have a Little back ground on TD bank, I’ll continue with my story. I was in a bit of a time crunch, the branch that I use it a very low traffic bank, which is a plus for me, there are no long lines, there is plenty of parking and it’s convenient. As I mentioned I went to grab a gift card, when I arrived there was no one in line (plus), I knew that I would be in and out within five minutes or less (plus) and they were well staffed (big plus).  Imagine my surprise when in total it took me 17 minutes to get a gift card. I was irritated to say the least, the teller couldn’t pull up my account, she stepped away to use another computer where she was able to pull up my account. After she found my account she then said she had to wait for a manager to give her the gift card, as they have some new protocol that only allows a manager access to gift cards. Directly beside her was a cluster of employees, and the supervisor and they were huddled over a computer. I asked if it was going to take long and they said that they were busy finishing up a task. So I went a sat down next to another customer, (who walked in while I at the counter), who was waiting to be serviced, and she couldn’t believe that it was taking this long for someone to assist her when there were at least 6 employees in the bank at the time. I thought, let me just get what I need, and leave because I don’t want to be “that girl”.  Then I though how can any business strive to meet the expectations of its customers if they don’t receive feedback, so I did what anyone would do I went to Twitter. If you follow my blog then you know, I’m an advocate of all things Social Media, almost every business/company has a Face Book page and a Twitter page. I have frequently mentioned that the way we communicate with each other, receive/transmitt information, and advertise our services is vastly correlated to social media. It’s a direct line of communication to the heavy hitters of companies. It’s the quickest way for companies to find out what people think, and want. I sent a message to TD Bank via Twitter, stating that what occurred within the bank was bad customer service, within 2 minutes (literally) TD Bank followed me, apologized for the experience, sent me a direct message stating they would like the chance to speak with me, to find out what happened and how they could ensure that this would not occur again. Someone from their corporate office contacted me immediately. I was blown away, in a matter of minutes TD Bank proved two things to me, why they are a fantastic institution, and that they are passionate about dedicated to providing the ultimate guest experience.

Studies show that people will tell 10 people about a negative experience in comparison to a positive experience where they may only tell one person. I spoke with a woman by the of Lee, I could tell immediately that she was genuinely sorry for the experience I had in one of the TD Banks, she didn’t try to make excuses (she listened), and she told me that she and TD Bank team are dedicated to customer service, that she would make sure that the issue wouldn’t happen again. I learned that when you are a consumer of a company and their products you have the right to voice your opinions (respectfully) and the responsibility to give accurate feedback. TD Bank took a negative experience and completely turned it around, and proved to me why I should bank with them. It may have taken me 17 minutes to complete a transaction, but it took less than 2 minutes for TD Bank to ensure that I will be a loyal customer for the near (long-term) future. I encourage people to give companies feedback, every company has its faults, but they cannot improve if they aren’t provided feedback. A bad guest experience is what sets great companies apart from mediocre companies. Mediocre companies place blame on the consumer, and want to give you rewards to come endure more mediocre service. Great companies, offer you nothing upfront, but guarantee it will never happen again, and prove it through their actions. Check out TD Bank see for yourself.

* I was not paid this article. These are thoughts, and my experience. I am not endorsed by TD Bank.

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