Coffee, Computers, TV Lounge … in a Bank?

Today as I was out meeting with bank branch managers trying to raise money for my son’s non-profit preschool, I ran across something I just had to share. First of all, you have to love community banking. Who else cares about your needs (and wants your business more that a community bank?).

I walked into a local bank - Tamalpais Bank (with just 6 branches) and immediately felt like I was at home. It had a big screen TV with two comfy lounge chairs, free coffee, 2 cool looking iMacs for the adults to surf the web, 2 iMacs for the kids at their level to play games, wood toys … and best of all Free checking. WOW! Now that is called service. The other banks look sterile and unfriendly in comparison.

Perhaps the reason we have a negative savings rate in our country is because we aren’t friendly with our local bankers anymore. What would life be like if we spent as much time kicking it back at the bank as we did at our drycleaners? We are probably feel more connected with our local drycleaner and carwash attendant than our banker.

Why? Because we can do almost all our banking online. At least I do. But think about the possibilities if we as a country relied on our local community banks for our financial health. I have to think that we would have a lot less financial demise. So take a tour of a couple of your local community banks and notice how you feel when you walk in. It you get that warm cozy feeling, then maybe it is time to open an account and strike up friendship with the branch manager who you can go to for your financial questions.

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