Nate Riggs: Social Business Strategies; communication, social web strategies, & passion in Columbus, Ohio.

My choice of banks has usually been dictated by location and proximity.

Growing up in Massillon, Ohio, I banked with First Merit.  Why?  A branch was located about two blocks from my house.

When I moved to Westerville, to attend Otterbein College  in 1999, I banked with Huntington.  Why?  There was a branch about a mile south of campus and an ATM down the road from my apartment.

When I moved into Victorian Village this past fall, I switched my bank to National City.  Why?  You guessed it.  A branch was less than a block away, around the corner from my apartment complex.

For me, banking has always been about convenience.  And, up until recently, convenience was largely determined by a bank’s physical location.

Redefining Convenience
When I met Michael Cain, a VP at the mega-regional bank, Fifth Third, I learned that a huge percentage of their customers rarely step foot into a retail branch.  When I consider my own banking patterns, I can see how the culture of banking has changed in the past decade largely due to the rise of the Interwebz.

It’s simply more convenient for people to access their accounts online and manage transactions.  But, with this also comes a challenge for banks: customer service has started to take a back seat to the idea of self-service.

Transactions that were once the sole job of a human teller behind a counter are now often facilitated by online and mobile banking self-service applications.

Think about that for a moment.

With the right applications installed, your iPhone or Droid or Blackberry can become your main connection to customer service for just about any financial transaction you’d like make.  It’s fascinating and maybe even a bit scary at the same time.

Why I’ll Stay with PNC, Even if I Move
Last night, I was in a pinch.

It was about 7:30 PM when I realized that rent was due today.  The PNC branch around the corner was closed and I was about 3 miles into a much-needed run through Grandview.  I knew that  I had not yet transfered my paycheck from my Social Business Strategies account to my personal checking.  Uh-oh.  Not good.

About two weeks ago, I downloaded PNC’s iPhone application to my phone.  The registration process was easy and, after playing around with it, I felt comfortable that even if I lost my phone, the application was secure enough that it would be almost impossible for anyone to hack into my accounts.

At mile 4 – after what I deemed was enough mental anguish – I stopped, opened the PNC mobile banking application and within about three clicks was able to transfer the funds I needed with really no hassle at all.  When I closed the app, my Paul Oakenfold station on Pandora resumed and I dashed back into my route.

Customer Retention & Marketing
I talk about humans all the time, and yet I find it interesting that one of the best and most convenient customer experiences I’ve had since sitting at DK Diner in Grandview took place on my iPhone.  What’s more, is that my entire transaction happened over the course of 2 minutes – and I can verify that because I was timing my rest.

Now, consider the other ways PNC could have asked me to invest my 2 minutes trying to fix the problem:

• Calling PNC and getting through the initial voice prompts on the phone to speak with a customer service rep?  About 10 minutes.
• Driving to a branch (if it was open), walking in from the parking lot, waiting in line to complete the transaction with a human teller?  About 10-15 minutes.
• Driving to the ATM, and completing the transaction there?  About 15-20 minutes.

Using PNC’s iPhone application created a different kind of customer experience, one that saved me time and gave me peace of mind in knowing that my rent would be paid on-time.  Because of that, I’m now married to the iPhone app, as a user.  I don’t plan to live where I’m at forever, but when I do move, the doorway to customer experience that PNC has created will move with me – right in the pocket of my jeans.

And here’s one last point: I’ve spent the last 30 minutes writing this blog post about my customer experience with PNC Bank.  I know that today there are around 1,200 of you who read my blog on a regular basis.  I’m light years away from having “Brogan influence“, but I have a little.

So then, is this blog post and personal account not an element of marketing for PNC’s brand?

Can you see the point I’m trying to make?  If you can, how would you describe it in your own words?

nateriggs

I advise mid-sized & large organizations on how to adopt and use social media to market through organizational culture and better serve their clients. I'm also a blended family dad who enjoys music, photography and distance racing. When I'm not writing here, you can find me writing over at the Content Marketing Institute. Like what you've read so far? Then why not subscribe HERE?

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