Who needs Social Media? My Banks!

I realized my outburst on Twitter today was incorrect.

Meant to say that Banks need to really be more accessible to their account holders. My other bank still lives in the 18th century and refuses to do anything over the phone. This post is about my local bank.

Banks shy away from zip files, large attachments, emailing of signatures/files/documents, loaning money these days... but I had no idea they won't even give out phone numbers.

Wanted to talk to my local Citibank branch person and not having their phone number with me figured I could call the branch and get connected. Didn't want to waste a 1/2 hour drive to find they were out today. Sure I should have their # on speed dial, but my phone is still synching.

As it turns out the number listed is an automated number that never asks to connect you to your branch! Banking is a relationship or so we are told by the banks, yet when we need them....where are they?

Could Citi be on Twitter? Like Airline, Comcast and Dell people? Sure
Could they post the phone number for the branch on their website? Sure
Would it help Citi to correlate other IBM Business Partners they manage accounts for? Sure
Should the local Citi office be blogging? Sure
Would I read it? Maybe, depends on what they wrote but I'd like to know if there are new businesses in town or various suppliers or a million other business development efforts.

If you want people to do business with you, you must be doing business the way they work as well. So my next bank will be a social media using bank, which MUST be local or provide check scanning for free and clear all local state checks in one day.

Sounds like a Lotus Connections ad doesn't it? Or a business plan for a new bank.

Either way, my money is walking to new places, one BP recommended Regions Bank any others you would recommend?