MEMORABLE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
WACHOVIA
Before 8 a.m. on a Friday, the managers and staff of Wachovia's West Paces Ferry branch in Atlanta have gathered for their daily huddle. They review the numbers from the day before, a slow day that drew only a few customers to the bank. But today they are hopeful to bring in more business with the approaching weekend. Each staff member makes a commitment for the day - one pledges to close on two loans, another to sell three CDs, another to arrange online banking for a new customer.
At the end of the huddle, Roderick Logan, assistant vice president and service leader of the Buckhead and Northside (Atlanta area) markets, has some congratulations to deliver. Wachovia meticulously measures performance in sales and service, placing each branch in a red, yellow, or green zone. This branch has moved from dismal grades in the red zone up through yellow, almost touching green. "You've turned your service scores around, and you've held onto them," says Logan. "Wachovia is rated #1 in customer satisfaction for the fourth year in a row because of what you're doing at West Paces."
The ranking to which Logan refers is the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and Wachovia indeed has captured first place every year since 2000. It is a top 10 service provider not only among banks but also among all retailers in the ACSI, including companies such as Google and Barnes & Noble. In a study by Keynote Systems of leading U.S. banking websites, Wachovia also took the top marks.
These rankings reflect Wachovia's goal to offer more than good customer service. "We work to differentiate ourselves at service, and we want to offer more. We want to make our customers' day," says Jane Bunn, director of customer experience, a title that embraces her words.
Bunn places all of the bank's offerings under the customer service umbrella. Wachovia offers relationship banking where customers can manage all of their financial needs - checking and savings accounts, online bill pay, a line of credit, 401K and 529 plans and ATM deposits - in one place. In addition, Wachovia will launch extended business hours in 50 financial centers in September, and it is building 10 new banking centers in the metro Atlanta market. "The end game is customer loyalty," says Bunn.
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