What does it mean to make a brand promise and deliver on it?

Let’s start with an upfront disclosure. I’m a lifelong customer of NatWest.  They got me as a 17 year old student with some long forgotten freebie incentive. A classic case of bait and hook. And while I don’t feel any particularly strong loyalty to them, I’m still with them all these years later in what I’d best describe as being a ‘passively satisfied customer’.

A few years back they launched ‘Helpful Banking’, and while no longer overt within their marketing, it’s a legacy they continue with. While it initially attracted some flak and a fair few detractors they started building some credibility beyond marketing say-so, through actions mandated via their customer charter.

Earlier today I saw a nice little video on Facebook - a sponsored post - with the enticing invite ‘we’d like you to meet Janet’ which made me think of Helpful Banking. It turns out Janet is super happy with her Cashback Plus Credit Card which gives cashback rewards on everything she buys using her card.

However I’d like to introduce you to ‘Mike’ from NatWest who I had a telephone conversation with a couple of weeks ago.

It turned out Mike was my personal bank manager.

Even though I’d never asked for one.

I’ve never met Mike.

But he was forever calling.

Probably because I kept ducking out of his calls.

Too busy you see.

But Mike was persistent.

He really wanted to be helpful.

Mike seemed to know an awful lot about me too – in a scary big brother kind of way.

And he wanted to make sure I had the proper financial products and coverage.

Like mortgage protection. And travel insurance. And lots of other ‘stuff’.

I think Mike was maybe trying to sell to me.

Which was the real reason I’d been ducking out of his calls to begin with.

I tell him I don’t need much of a relationship with my bank.

An online banking service that works.

Decent returns on my savings account (I wish).

Access via ATM’s.

And someone to speak to if I need any help or have any queries.

Or being proactive and letting me know of a better account to switch to.

That would be a nice first.

We then discuss a problem with my branch around updating security credentials.

He said he’d sort it out.

So we left the call at that.

And then I didn’t hear from him.

So I chased him up.

By email.

Twice.

Nothing.

I was quite content not having a personal relationship with my bank.

Until Mike popped up.

Then he raised my expectations.

And failed to deliver.

Now I feel grieved and hard-done by.

You see I believe Mike was thinking transactional relationship.

Not customer relationship.

So if Mike ever phones again I’ll be back to ducking his calls.

The moral of this tale is a simple one. If you make a promise, then make good on that promise. That goes for brands too. Whatever a brand promises to stand for has to be 100%. At all levels of the organisation and across all touchpoints.  

And Mike if you’re reading this. Apologies – it’s nothing personal.