Overcoming Negative Customer Attitudes Toward Mergers

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Question:

We've gone through three mergers in the last six years. Our employees report that customers make a lot of snide comments about trying to keep up with our constant name changes. As a marketing officer, how do I combat this? Being the butt of jokes is bad enough, but the comments some customers are making indicate they have concerns about the bank's viability. The changes seem to make them nervous.

Answer:

You have full right to be upset with your customer feelings and jokes, having gone through several mergers. A recent national survey said 47% of customers who have gone through a bank merger were very unhappy.

The first thing you should do is research just how bad and why your customers feel about your bank. All too often bankers take action on a very few comments, assuming they represent the majority.And don't try to conduct this research with bank employees. People won't tell their bank employees their true negative feelings.

There are 12 ways to eliminate customer negatives. Here are three;

Create a list of the customer benefits created by the mergers.
Send out a brief written report addressing the significant negatives uncovered in your research.
Get your CEO out to civic meetings, talking about the benefits of the mergers and what the bank has planned for the next 12 months.

Hope this helps. Email me for other ideas, if you like.

First published on BankersOnline.com 8/6/01