This week’s cartoon is a great analog for many of the organizations that frustrate us.  You might have noticed Melanie’s thoughts in the newsletter Customer Comments section where she expresses total frustration with a large communication company that we will call ad&d.  I share her pain and have written about ad&d in a past post — see http://thewoodchips.com/we-value-your-business-please-stay-on-the-line.

This week’s post concerns a major South Florida bank with a similar tone-deafness, i.e. it’s clear they just don’t want to make loans.  Amazing since just three years ago they would loan money to anyone who could fog a mirror.

Recently, I called them about refinancing my Miami condo to take advantage of the great interest rates.  Now, I have a good credit rating and have done business with them for years.  I ALWAYS pay early, pay more than the payment and pay in cleared funds through my banks automatic bill paying system.

I was told they would require AT LEAST 35% down.

Amazing.  I could in fact cough up the money, but it kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it.  I’m simply trying to lower my interest rate.  Why not require 50%, or better yet, here’s a great idea for a new financial banking product.  Why not require that I put 100% down on the loan and then charge me interest for 15 years.  I’m almost afraid to write that.

This bank is totally tone deaf with a carrot stuck in it’s ear.

Many banks seem to have this affliction these days.  Looks like they’ve figured out they can borrow money for close to 0% (subsidized by you and me through our government to provide plenty of money to loan) and then instead of actually loaning the money, they buy government securities for a 3-4% profit spread and rake in the profits risk free.  Kind of defeats the purpose of the government program, doesn’t it … hmmm … that’s the second time I’ve said “defeats the purpose” isn’t it.

So to my South Florida Banker, I would like to say, “Excuse me, but you have a carrot stuck in your ear.”  I fully expect to receive a canned response back that says “Dear customer, sorry but we can’t hear you because we have a carrot stuck in our ear.  But we value your business, please stay on the line … we value your business, please stay on the line … we value your business, please stay on the line …”

So have you been dealing with any “carrot stuck in their ear” businesses lately.  Feel free to tell us your story by clicking on this post’s title and writing in the comment box that appears below.

Have a great day—J. Daniel

P.S. I got the joke for the cartoon from Drayton Bird’s blog.  If you have any interest in marketing, check out his site at www.drayton-bird.com.  He is THE marketing guru to go to.  Caution—his site is not politically correct (chuckle).