The other day, I was in my bank doing normal routine stuff and happen to pop my head into Liz’s office. For the last three years of business Liz has been my personal and business banker at Bank of America. Our relationship started off by my former banker being promoted to assistant manager of the branch not leaving her with time to work one on one with clients.
People always ask me which is the best bank to open your business account with. It truly depends on the people you work with their. Thats mainly the difference in all the banks and credit unions out there. Its not the fees, rules or guidelines its how the people will treat you as a customer and user of their branch. My first bank account was from my small town that is only in military cities if that. Once, I moved to Houston I opened an account at Bank of America and then I end up moving to a city that didn’t have one so I switched over to Chase. Going through several banks on my journey with personal and business finances. In the last five years, I have used two banks Bank of America and Chase. I am treated differently at both branches.
At Chase, I am treated as a number not a person. They are not personal and I feel rushed overtime I am in there. Only reason I have an account there is because its free and I use it to pay off my student loan debt. Once my debt is paid off, it will be closed. Numerous times I tried establish a rapport with the staff there and it never happen. It wasn’t organic and it just seemed forced with them talking to me.
At Bank of America, it immediately felt like I was walking into Cheers Bar. Everyone was polite and asking me questions. I will say at any bank they will try to sell you their other products. This happens no matter where you go. Having a loan, credit card, mutual funds and more is what they want. There is an end goal every branch needs to make. From the start, I was completely honest in what I need. I need a banker who was a friend per se but a banker that got me together. Showing me where I was wasting money and how I could set up a better future.
Every time, I walk into Bank of America everyone knows my name and I own a business. More specifically, I love that Liz knows all her clients or customers that walks in the door. She greets them be their first name and extends grace to them. Not judging them for where they are at finically. Her goal is to make sure her customers receive the best treatment and results from her.
So many people treat banks just as a financial institution that’s it, not expecting nothing else from them or having goals. Its just a place where they hold their money. This is the wrong mindset to have. You need to go into establishing an healthy relationship with your banker with goals. What are you wanting out of this relationship. I wanted a bank that I could grow with from where I was in my finances to where I will be if I decided to open up a coffee shop. A bank that treated me with respect and I could share coffee with them. This needs to be mutual road not it was the cheapest to have an account with them type of mindset.
