Bank Of The West
Disclosing personal info to make a sale

I was in a Bank of the West branch this weekend and I noticed the lady working the drive-up teller window was really trying to upsell customers to other bank services while they were making deposits. This wasn't just a generic promotion like, "our credit card rates are currently x% right now, would you like an application?", but customer specific sales pitches, like "I noticed you don't have a savings account, would you like to open one now?" or "Remember the CD promotion I talked to you about a couple of weeks ago? The promotion has been extended. Would you like to open a CD now?"

During the time I was there, every single customer in the drive-up lanes got this kind of sales pitch. Ironically, the customers inside the branch DIDN'T get the "personalized" upsell treatment.

Is this normal for Bank of the West? If I was in the drive-up lane making a deposit, not only would I not have the time for a sales pitch, but I certainly wouldn't want to conduct other banking business over the loudspeaker. I don't think the other customers need to know that I don't have a savings account or that I have enough money for a CD.

I know a bank has to sell services to remain in business, but the employees shouldn't be poking around in the customer records looking for sales opportunities and then broadcasting their "opportunities" over the loudspeaker in the drive-up lane. I thought banks were supposed to keep customer information private.

Company: Bank Of The West
Country: USA
State: Iowa
City: Des Moines
Address: 2596 Hubbell Ave

  <     >