We all tend from time to time to suffer from the quick fix syndrome. After all, this is a world of high-pressure business deals, 1-Gigahertz personal computers, 10-second sound bites and six-course microwave dinners. Therefore, it seems difficult to believe that a strategy so deceptively simple and straightforward can be the key to success.

Many bankers still remember the good old days when there were plenty of customers to go around. True, the market has always been somewhat competitive, but the pie was big enough for everyone to get a fair sized piece if they put out some effort. Customers were far more willing to accept, with few if any questions, what was dealt to them.

Marketing and customer responsiveness was something the breakfast food industry dealt with, not banking. Then the financial service world began to change rapidly, competition heated up and consumers became more discriminating and demanding. Now the customer seems to be saying " I want it now, I want it perfect, I want it cheap and if not, I'll sue".

Customers today are offered a variety of financial products from an increasing number of suppliers. Now the customer dictates when, where and how they will access the bank and its service and product offerings. In fairness, some bankers have made the transition to a customer-centric competitive environment. However, many bankers continue to do business in the same old manner. They do not understand nor do they seem willing to accept the fact that it is a 'keep moving or run the risk of being run over" market.

Today, a mollifying web site with just the address and telephone number of the bank's main office and its branches, along with a listing of the bank's basic products, does not qualify as "marketing". To be effective a bank must wed technology and relationships into a seamless delivery system driven by a clearly defined marketing strategy.

As the newspaper cartoon character Pogo reminds his friends in the swamp, " we have met the enemy and they is us!" Bankers must not only meet but also exceed their customers' service expectations or they will become their own worse "enemy".

Consequently the operative formula is simple: happy customers equal profitable customers, who in turn increase earnings, which maximizes shareholder value, which makes for happy shareholders. So, bankers out there, if you intend to keep the "milk" (capital) flowing, keep your customers happy and coming back for more.

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