Bank Speak
May 23, 2008 at 6:37 pm by Ehab BandarNo one likes talking to people who sound more like a well-rehearsed parrot than a real person. And try as they might, banks can’t seem to stop talking in bank speak. Check out this curious letter by Citibank’s new CEO to his slew of customers around the world:
I want you to be among the first to know about the bold steps we are taking at Citi to be the premier, global, fully integrated financial services firm.
Our objective is to create for our customers an experience in which services are seamless, payments and transfers effortless, and distances meaningless. My commitment - and the commitment of everyone at Citi - is to work tirelessly around the world and around the clock to deliver outstanding value and service as we continue to earn your trust.
Come again? Do people really talk like that, especially a business to its customers? The letter sounds more like a shareholder letter. In reality, what people really care about is lower fees, better savings rate, and ways to ease the credit crunch. The price of this bank speak, of speaking to everyone and no one, is a bank that feels more out of touch than ever.
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Share: 
January 14th, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Great post! It’s so true. Businesses get so caught up in their pitch messaging that they forget they are talking to actual people. Citibank would do well to read this post and focus on selling points that matter to people. If they have hired competent employees, they should do just fine conveying those selling points.
A useful tool for finding reward checking accounts: CheckingFinder.com identifies community banks and credit unions paying up to 6%. Just type in your zip.