Bill — I certainly see your points here, but I think, in general, all banks are fairly equal (Big picture, here. I know there are subtle differences.). The thing then that will enable and inspire customers to sing the praises is the bell, whistle or widget that differentiates the bank from all the others.

If it’s a pizza, cool. That’s a simple approach. Maybe the differentiation is the bank has a social network of investors you can join and discuss money decisions with like minded people in a safe atmosphere. Maybe it’s leather sofas and TVs in the lobby instead of stand-up pen chains for deposit slips.

The point is that something has to make the commodity stand out because everyone else can do what that bank is doing.

Thanks for the continued conversation. I like it when readers and commenters make me think harder about a topic!

I don’t want anything more than solid service, competitive rates, convenient branches and killer online banking options. And yeah, most all banks can do that pretty well.

I remain convinced it’s the little things that matter. And maybe that does come back to pizza. But in the end, pizza — or whatever it is — just adds to the “comfort zone.” It’s not likely a reason you would recommend a bank, is it?

For a real point of difference, look at the supermarkets that serve my region. They offer pretty much the same goods and services, but one — Giant Eagle — lets me earn discounts on gasoline at the company’s “Get-Go” stations. I save 10-cents a gallon for every $50 in groceries I buy. Now that’s a tangible selling point, though I’m sure it’s built into the price of the smoked turkey and shredded wheat. It has to be.

I rarely cheer for my vacuum when it whisks the dust bunnies up into the bag. That’s what it’s supposed to do. I suppose if it sang a song while it did it I’d talk to other people about my vacuum cleaner. Things and people doing what they’re supposed to do… that’s what they’re supposed to do.

Even if they greeted me with “Hey Mr. Falls” (or preferably “Jason”) and asked about my kid, I’d be hard pressed to actively recommend them. They’ve earned my business and respect. To earn my blatant recommendation, they’ve got to go way above and beyond. I can get all that other stuff somewhere else.

Or, to summarize. I like Pizza. (Heh.)

But Billy hit on something, and it amounts to creating a comfort zone for customers. Easier said than done, since it requires motivated staff. The guys who service my car — Flynn’s Tire in Kent, Ohio — know me and my vehicles. I spend a lot of dough at this shop, and I never question a service recommendation. They’ve earned my trust, but most of it comes down to being friendly and being consistent. Tires are tires. Brake pads are brake pads. Like bank accounts, it’s hard to make it sexy, but that isn’t necessary.

Flynn’s typically has a manager in place for 3-4 years, which tells me it’s an OK place to work. But there’s one more difference. Just like Billy’s credit union, Flynn’s doesn’t have to kowtow to Wall St. analysts of big-money pension funds. It’s family owned and operated. It’s comfortable. My bank can’t make that claim.

Thanks for all your comments!

Even the President of my credit union recognizes me and says my name when I run into him on the street. I bet most bank customers haven’t a clue who the President of their bank is but the President of my credit union has an office that’s open to the lobby so he sees every person who walks in.

I could go on with why I recommend my credit union over any bank I’ve ever dealt with but your point is exactly why I tell people in Greensboro to join the Greensboro Municipal Credit Union and not some bank.