

Went to my local Bank of America today to make a deposit. Its a smaller branch, so the special merchant's window is usually empty, which I like.
As the teller does her thing, I glance to my right and notice a little kiosk with a telephone sitting quietly on its counter. The graphics around the phone proudly announced, "For Our Customers...Better Customer Service...Transfers by Phone...Account Updates...Loan Requests." It was begging people to come and use the phone, sitting there quietly.
I asked the teller, "So, how many people use the phone to do their banking?" I had a sense that this was the makings of a good LandingTheDeal post, but no idea just how good.
"Nobody ever uses the phone," she said. "It doesn't even work."
"Really?" I said. 
"Yes," she replied. "In fact, it hasn't worked since October when I started working here. I tried calling out on the line to reach customer service one time, but it connected to the police department."
A customer service phone that never gets used. There's a lesson right there. But one that also connects to the police department instead of customer service? Classic. Only at my small town bank.
Scroll back up for a few sales lessons from this little excursion to the bank...








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