The benefits of listening to customers.

• Author: Motley, L. Biff
• Position: Customer Satisfaction - Letter to the editor

Warren Buffet, the highly regarded investor, once said that an ideal company in which to invest is like a toll bridge. It has something that nobody else has; and, in many cases, it is the only way to get where you are going. Great brands, like Coke, Microsoft, Dell, have many of the characteristics of toll bridges. These companies are constantly seeking ways to be different and better than the competition so that, at least for some clients, they are the only way to get there.

I was recently looking through some of the actual, verbatim comments from the banking clients who subscribe to the ABA Financial Client Satisfaction Index (FCSI) measurement website www.clientsatisfaction.com. These comments are great, because they are the unfiltered voice of the customers. Here are a few:

--"I just love Acme Bank (not real name). I have never found a bank with employees more willing to help and go beyond the call of duty."

--"I use both Maple Street and Elm Street branches. I am 34 now and have been at the Maple location since I was 16. Mrs. Jones taught me to balance my checkbook."

--"Younger employees need to develop a more professional attitude"

--"Overall great people. I left (large bank) for (this bank). Glad I did.

--"I hope someday you will find a way for us to correct errors on the weekends when we discover them online. Example: Double charges for automatic bill pays. I could put a stop payment on it, but then that costs me more than the error in billing."--"Not open on Saturdays any more"

--"I think after 50 years old you should not have to pay for paper checks."

--"Would like to see more help at the drive thru."

While there are just...