Each week, we round-up the best comments, emails and letters to the site and pick one reader contribution as our Star Letter. This week’s award goes to:
Focus on Cambridge Building Society
Ahh yes the building society vs. the bank.
I wrote my one and only article last year based around the bank/building society focus where I said then, we brokers have long memories. It looks like times are changing again now, banks are trying to lend a tad more money, they are endeavouring to be a little nicer to us mere mortals now the tap is being turned on slightly (dual pricing not quite so bad right now).
This will change back again no doubt when FLS dries up. I must confess when I read most articles with a focus on a bank or building society, I often smile and laugh and think, here we go again. This is a bank that is now going to reel off a load of verbal diarrhoea and try and convince the broker community and customers – but more likely themselves – how wonderful a job they are doing.
I like to call it delusional and comical. I can’t think of one bank that when I do place a case with I don’t think ‘oh my god what is going to go wrong’, maybe the client has the wrong hair style this week so ‘computer says no’ or computer says yes only to find that human then said no.
Then there are the building societies, you know, the ones where you speak to them on a personal level and discuss a case with a real person, often the same person that is genuinely interested in doing business with you and your client (yes the broker’s client).
Where it is refreshing for not only the broker but the client in particular because you can tell your client with confidence that there should be no problems rather than stress levels going through the roof and having to tell them ‘don’t do anything yet until we have your offer’.
Then there is this week’s focus, the Cambridge Building Society. I have dealt with them for more years than I care to remember I can always rely on them for help, assistance and a positive attitude that makes one actually enjoy the job which is quite rare these days.
They do genuinely care about your customer and the very important 3 way relationship that will only carry on growing as time goes by. The feedback I have received from clients over the years has been so positive that recommendations are not in short supply.
I think I will stick to the building societies where possible as customers tell me ‘they deserve my business’. Like I said, brokers and clients have long memories.
Mark Jackson
12 Feb 2013 | 06:42
