Somewhere along the way I picked up the belief that it is a good idea to establish relationships with my banker and vendors whenever possible. So, (and I know this is making me sound old fashioned) I actually walk into my bank to make deposits. Everyone knows me there and I make a special point of saying hello to the manager.
Recently, I had an issue with the company that provides merchant services for my bank. They made several mistakes resulting in overcharges and there was an issue with an employee trying to commit fraud. When I contacted the company, they were rude and threatened to charge me $500 if I changed services. They were also trying to block me from speaking to a supervisor or manager.
What did I do? I went to the bank with a deposit and stopped at the manager’s desk. She was very understanding and sent an email directly to the top manager of the company requesting the situation be resolved in my favor. It was.
Knowing my bank manager just saved me $500.
In this world of technology we sometimes lose sight of the value of doing business in person. It may take me an extra 5 minutes every time I walk my deposit into the bank, but it feels worth it to me. I like knowing the people I do business with and they seem to appreciate knowing me, too.