I have always said “What else have you got? when a marketer lays “CRAP” out on the table.

The only way service becomes a differential element ion a brand is when the term “Exceptional” is defined. When exceptional becomes the standard, then it is standard and no longer exceptional. To be exceptional means constantly pushing the boundry further out of the reach of your competition.

In one market it may be exceptional to call a member before they get an overdraft fee. In another it may be sending an auto detailer out to a members home on the one year anniversary of their auto purchase at no charge as a way to talk to them about a new car purchase.

Its not having exceptional service that makes your brand. It is defining what exceptional is and then exceeding it that makes your brand.

For a pure “Service Brand” strategy to work, the level of service needs to be legendary (at or above Nordstrom). It’s a brand strategy that hinges on the actual sales experience, so if someone isn’t “in the market,” they may never know what the brand is really about. That’s part of why Umpqua’s strategy works — they don’t just hope they can get by with quality service.

I totally agree with your analogy that “CRAP is as easy and safe as STRNLE- BUT I know a bank can differentiate with service, if they actually do it. The problem is just that – everyone says it, very few actually measure and manage it.

Umpqua Bank has done it. It may not be perfect, but they have definitely set themselves apart from every other bank in there market. Isn’t that the point?

D.