Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
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“A lot of businesses say "we're all about community," but Citizens Bank of Morgantown means it. Everyone is unreasonably friendly, welcoming, happy to help. $0.95 of every dollar stays right here to support our community. I switched after years of terrible service at BB&T/Truist and I couldn't be happier for my business and personal banking. Do yourself a favor and get to know Andy. He'll take awesome care of you, whatever you need.”
I left that review a few months ago. Last week, I walked over 3 miles with my girls to the bank to open a couple of new accounts. I could have done that online in 5 minutes with my phone on the couch before my shower. So, why didn't I?
Morgantown's Sweetheart
Hopefully he isn't too embarrassed by that. I switched banks five or six years ago when I met Andrew Flanagan (“Flan Man” or as I like to call him "Morgantown's Sweetheart"). Fun fact, I actually first met Andy closer to 10 years ago when we randomly served together on a few worship sets for a Calvary Chapel youth conference. It took us both much longer than we’d care to admit across from the conference table that day to connect the dots after sharing the “hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” look (and question). So, if you didn’t know, Flan Man’s an incredible drummer.
But I digress. Is that the right use of that word?
I’ll never forget the question Andy asked me that day we (re)met because it’s the reason I switched banks. He’s doing his relationship manager thing, asking what bank I use, yada yada. Then Andy asks me:
“So, what’s keeping you at Truist?”
Other than it being close to campus when I moved to Morgantown, I didn’t have a good answer. I didn’t have any answer at all. And, coming off a particularly unpleasant experience with Truist customer service, I finally told him, “You know? Nothing really.”
I switched banks the next week.
1. Make it Your Mission to Make Your Mission Matter
There’s a lot to unpack there. The first observation is the danger that, if your business is unremarkable, unintentional, or unpleasant–if your customers feel for a moment that you don’t care–you’re one question away from losing them. Look, I’m sure Truist means well. And their mission statement and core values sound great: “Our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities…everyone and every moment matters.”
I want to be clear: it was no fault of the tellers or customer service reps at Truist that I left. I had a series of terrible experiences, but they didn’t do anything wrong. They only did as they were told.
“That’s just our policy, sir. There’s more information about this change on our website.”
It was clear by policy that their focus wasn’t on bettering my life or making the moment matter with a sudden policy change to a loyal customer. That’s all they said and the message was received loud and clear.
Think about it: If someone had a bad experience with you, what would keep them from changing?
2. Bigger Isn't Always Better
The second observation is an opportunity. Citizens Bank is no Truist. They’re a small, local bank that’s been a pillar of the community for over 100 years. But they aren’t in the stone ages. They have the mobile app, a nice website (by Inner Action Media), online banking, etc everything you’d expect and need. I could have opened any account online, but I went out of my way to go to the bank so I could see some of my favorite people downtown. I told my girls:
“We’re going to visit my friend Andy at the bank.”
I never had that at Truist, that’s for sure. Funny enough, the closest Truist branch is only a few hundred yards further from our house and can’t imagine ever walking there to do anything. Ever. Ironically, Andy wasn't even at the bank the morning I opened those new accounts, but I'm still glad I went.
Think about it: Is there anything about your business that people would go out of their way for? What if your customers are better off if your business didn't scale? How much of what made you great are you willing to lose?
3. Actions Still Speak Louder Than Words
The third observation is a friendly reminder: practice what you preach. It doesn’t matter how nice your mission statement or core values sound on your website. If you aren’t actually doing them, if you aren’t actually showing people what matters to you, that they matter to you, it’s just words.
I don’t care how much you care about the "community," how "innovative" you are, how high the "quality" is, how "strategic" you are if you aren’t showing me. And people shouldn't have to look hard for it. They shouldn't have to look at all. Your values should be unmistakable. Your mission isn’t marketing. Your values aren’t just words on your website.
If you have these tools, they’re great, but they aren’t sales tools. They’re decision-making tools. They’re leadership tools to guide, inspire, and influence everything you say and do what matters to you actually gets done everywhere in your business. So customers actually experience it. These brand statements are a filter.
Think about it: What things matter so much to you that they change the way you do business? What does your business say it's all about and how are you showing it?
Be a Good Citizen
Shoutout to Andy, Mary Beth, Brian Camp and all the wonderful people at Citizens Bank of Morgantown for taking such good care of me, my family, and business, and for all that they're doing in and for our community.
Consider this your friendly neighborhood reminder to do the same.