Thwart Mediocrity

We look out our office window at an Austin Telco FCU branch housed in what was (I’m pretty sure) once a car wash.

What if they’d have kept the car wash and gave a free scrubbin’ to members?

If I’m a golf club member, I get green fees covered. A Costco member, gas discounts. An Admiral’s Club member, a lounge away from the madness. An HOA member, pool access.

Do we give our members meaningful perks — benefits beyond what they could get at BigA Bank down the street?

We should.

Otherwise, we make member = customer.

(Headline to be read in your best Joel McHale voice.)

Brad and his family searched for a new car last weekend.

Brad went to a car dealership in Humble, Texas and walked the lot with a salesperson.

Brad found a car he wanted to test drive.

Brad did some research on his BlackBerry during the test drive.

Brad decided not to buy the car.

Car salesperson to Brad as he was informed of Brad’s decision not to buy: “Thanks for wasting two hours of my time.”

If you’re in sales, a final walk-away “no” doesn’t mean a prospect won’t come back.  Sometimes it pays to let them go.

I encountered a pushy salesperson last week from a company I had wanted to do business with - the timing just wasn’t right for us to buy. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, tried unsuccessfully to go over my head and ruined our relationship before we could build it.

Four years ago my friend Jeremy and his wife came for a visit to Dallas. We both grew up around Shreveport, Louisiana - you know, the town where the actors in that Oliver Stone movie had a fistfight last weekend.

Shreveport had no Starbucks at the time of Jeremy’s visit. Thus Jeremy had never gone to a Starbucks (unbelievable, no?!). Plus he avoided caffeine at the time. Health nut.

During his visit, we ended up near a Starbucks inside a mall.

I was distracted on the phone with Jenn trying to gauge how much longer we’d be waiting for them to finish shopping when the barista called out, “Strawberry Frappuccino… [long pause]… Strawberry Frappuccino.”

Jeremy walked forward, claimed his, ahem, free drink and enthusiastically said, “Thanks!”

We walked down the mall and I only noticed his unintentional theft after he’d gulped it down halfway. “I thought they were giving away free samples,” he pleaded.

Jeremy and I spoke today on my way to the office. He was in a Nashville drive-thru ordering his daily fix, a venti no-whip triple somethingorother.

Which got me thinking, do we charge for coin counters in our lobbies for non-members? If we do, we shouldn’t.

Today’s my last day in our Lake Jackson office. We’ll have the eCommerce HQ in Austin and I’m going with it. Pretty awesome.

Austin is where we see Ava growing up. That’s the first time we’ve said that about anywhere we’ve lived. Since getting married, we’ve gone from Shreveport to Bossier City to Plano to Indy to Lake Jackson to Austin.

Six moves in six years; three in the past fourteen months.

Moving so often has allowed us to keep the clutter down. We keep the things we need - well for the most part, that is.

Changing topics, Twitter’s down again and I finally have something important to say. “Thank you, Rhapsody. Finally I can listen to Radiohead.”

Changing topics again, I’m in love with my new Flip Video and am sticking with Flickr for everything less than 1:30.

Sunday’s my first Father’s Day - pretty cool.

Flickr has provided my social media fix, although I tweeted the birth.  And Ava’s on TotSpot.

Life’s hectic.  Moving to Austin on the 1st (still with the CU, but we’ll have our eCommerce hq there), and I’m fabsolutely thrilled.

My CUES eBook should come out in a couple of months.

Just wanted to give my two readers (hi mom and dad) a heads up.

From the reporter mentioned in my last post: “Egad, That was my error.  I apologize.  I was able to get the original.”

No worries to Ron for flaming me - I’m cool because of the friends who got my back.  You all rock.

Big news to come from me on the work front soon.  Ginormous initiative getting underway after months of planning.  I’ve also moved from Retail Delivery into our new eCommerce department, too - we will move to the front of the industry, no doubt.

And the baby should be here in about a month.

I spoke at a presentation for the Texas Credit Union League last month.  CU Times contacted me to do a story on it.  That’s cool.

Um, until I read the story yesterday.

“Reeme, the former executive vice president of Trabian, a Plano, Tex., marketing agency, also suggested that those 60-plus-year-old directors looking at the industry’s future should seriously consider stepping down to make way for a generation more connected to new technology.”

No, I didn’t.

What follows is my exchange with the reporter.  Alls I can do now is tell the world what I really said.
—–Original Message—–
From: Trey Reeme
To: xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 8 May 2008 9:26 am
Subject: RE: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

Thanks – let me know when you find that.  I wouldn’t have said it in the presentation even if I did feel that way (which I actually don’t); my entire board of directors was in attendance.

—–Original Message—–
From: xxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 11:24 AM
To: Trey Reeme
Subject: Re: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

I have you saying that.  I’ll have to check my notes  but if it wrong, we’ ll do a correction.

—–Original Message—–
From: Trey Reeme
To: xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 8 May 2008 9:17 am
Subject: RE: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

xxx,

Before http://www.cutimes.com/article.php?article=38067 goes to print (fingers crossed about this) would you mind clarifying that it was Kent Sugg and not me that suggested that “those 60-plus-year-old directors looking at the industry’s future should seriously consider stepping down to make way for a generation more connected to new technology.

It doesn’t reflect the content of my presentation or my feelings at all.

Thanks for your help on that.  The rest of the article was great – a very entertaining read!

Have a great day,
Trey

—–Original Message—–
From: Trey Reeme
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 2:18 PM
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

Haha – sure – I kicked off my presentation showing the group my Facebook profile, my Myspace page, my Twitter page, and then my Flickr page.

“On these social networks, you can easily find my birthdate, where I grew up, the names of all my friends, my job history, and everything I do on the weekends. This freaks everybody born before 1980 out.  But you’ve got to understand that I’m not that different from other 27 year olds.  And these are the types of members and employees our credit unions are having a lot of trouble reaching.  As an industry - like it or not - we’re boring and we seem to like it that way.  So how do we reach the most distracted, connected generation we’ve ever seen?”

—–Original Message—–
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 2:12 PM
To: Trey Reeme
Subject: Re: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

That’s pretty good, Trey.   You got any news “bites” however. In other words, can you give me a strong quote or two something that doesn’t sounds so bland.  It would liven up my story a little though I don’t want to put words in your mouth exactly. .  A young guy like you ought to be able to give me something zippy to go with the photo.

You can do it tonight if you need more time.

—–Original Message—–
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 12:06:54 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time
To: Trey Reeme
Subject: Re: TCUL Gen Y presentation summary

Hi xxxx,

The four points I covered in the “Credit Union 2.0” panel discussion were:

1.  To enter social media at your credit union (blogs, podcasts, networks like Facebook/Twitter), the entire organization must be briefed on what it is and what to expect.
2.  Mobile banking is just around the corner in seeing widespread adoption.
3.  That said, branches aren’t dead – they just need intense customization, consistent branding, and attention to detail to avoid damaging relationships with younger members.
4.  Integration across channels (online, remote (ATMS, etc.), in-branch) is important for cross-channel shoppers like Gen Y.

I’ve attached two pics to choose from.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thanks,
Trey

When I picked up the game of golf as a teenager, I cheated. I’d move a ball out of a bad lie. I’d drop without a penalty after plunking one in the drink (losing a ball was penalty enough, right?). I’d call a gimme putt if it were within the length of a club.

After a golf course in college and spending enough time on the course, I stopped cheating at golf. It’s a game that deserves your manners.

In the NFL you never see an O-lineman approach an official and call holding on himself. In golf it’s different.

I’ve heard you can see into someone’s character on the course. I believe it.

I absolutely do not care who is in the Who’s Who in America’s CUs.

8,811 inductees, and I’ve actually seen trade press coverage on this? Come on.

Someone needs to say it, and I guess it’s going to be me. That is all.

I heart you, Colin, but you’re wrong on this one.

Banks and Credit Unions are getting all green over the last two years, and its becoming a fad. Maybe I am getting old, so feel free to call me out on this.

I was surprised to see VanCity, whom I respect using what appears to be shadow accounting to accomodate a claim of carbon neutrality.

I have to call VanCity out on this one. Using a ‘Social Audit’ they have calculated their degree of carbon usage. No problem there. In order to become carbon neutral, they have purchased ‘offsets from five alternative energy projects’. Huh?

…. I get the whole desire to appear carbon neutral, but lets not lose touch with reality. The organisation is carbon negative by definition. Paper, people, computers are all carbon users, and that wont change. This can be reduced, and managed. But to claim a fiction by adding something to a “carbon balance sheet” to make yourself carbon neutral is ridiculous.

Every Bank could do that same thing, and I ask … would the world be safer, and less prone to climate change?

My response:

Vancity isn’t perfect, but they’re sincere. This isn’t slapping a “green” logo on electronic statements, which I’ve seen many FIs doing.

From their site, “Over the last 10 years, Vancity cut its energy use by 50 per cent, incidents of staff commuting to work by driving alone by 13 per cent, and its paper consumption by 30 per cent saving well over $2 million in energy costs alone.”

Sure, you can cite “carbon neutral” as an impossible standard to achieve, but we know what they mean - that for the damage done to the environment from being in business they’re trying to erase thatoffset that by doing that much good.

You ask, “Every Bank could do that same thing, and I ask … would the world be safer, and less prone to climate change?” No matter what the answer really is, you can’t fault Vancity for trying. And I believe they’re making an honest attempt.

Well, I don’t know that my speech to Filene’s 30 Under 30 group was interesting, but I’m pleased with the way the PowerPoint itself turned out.

Hope you like it, too.

Current results on CU Times’ latest web poll:

• 2015 (12.1%),
• 2020 (19.7%),
• 2030 (15.3%),
• Never, there will always be checks. (52.9%)”

For the last four years I was an entrepreneur; the four before that: a student. Thus I am always looking for cheap cost effective ways to decorate/eat/entertain. It’s a habit that will surely drive my children mad.

Speaking of parenting, my wife and I have our first baby on the way. Last week we put the finishing touches on the nursery. We’d noticed a wall graphic in the Pottery Barn catalog, and I told my wife, “We could do that.” She held me to it.

Here are photos of the process behind the tree that now covers one of the nursery walls. Not counting the green paint underneath, we got this done for around $20 - it took less than a quart of off-white paint, a roll of painters tape, a 1″ brush, a fine brush, and time.

Now if we could find a cheap alternative to diapers, we’d be all set.

Last Friday I went on a branch visit with Brad, our director of branch administration. The farthest branch was a two hour drive away from Lake Jackson, so he had plenty of time to field my complaints about the area.

My biggest grumble: “Sure, we have a Target. But it’s not a Super Target.”

The TSA. Yes, that TSA.

I’ll go ahead and, as Coach Dennis Green would put it, “crown ‘em” the Best Blog of 2008. Sure it’s a little early in the year - ok, it’s a little early in the life of their blog - but here’s why I love it:

Posters on this blog have had their first official impact on our operations. That’s right, less than one week since we began the blog and already you’re affecting security in a very positive way….

On Monday afternoon we began receiving questions about airports that were requiring ALL electronics to be removed from carry-on bags (everything, including blackberrys, iPods and even cords). This practice was also mentioned on several other blogs and left us scratching our heads.

So … we checked with our security operations team to figure out what was going on. After some calls to our airports, we learned that this exercise was set up by local TSA offices and was not part of any grand plan across the country. These practices were stopped on Monday afternoon and blackberrys, cords and iPods began to flow through checkpoints like the booze was flowing on Bourbon Street Tuesday night. (Fat Tuesday of course).

The communication style is witty but not forced. It’s not sugarcoated. And many of the comments are scathing … and they’re being allowed.

Very fun to watch.

When will the FCC start its blog?

Thank you, Brent, for introducing me to the best Super Bowl ad this year.

Each weekend I’m easy to find - just not online.

I don’t check email. I don’t sign on to Facebook. I don’t read feeds. I don’t use Twitter.

My iPhone transforms into a regular “talk to people the old-fashioned way” phone. My BlackBerry doesn’t even leave its holster.

It keeps me sane.

Last week, Morriss posted an interview with me. Toward the end of our chat, I spoke about this blog’s theme.

I turned in a half-assed homework assignment in the sixth grade. My teacher (more accurately, my mentor) asked me if it was my best effort. It wasn’t even close. She asked me never to show work that was mediocre.

I fear mediocrity because it characterizes the first, second, and third drafts of everything I touch.

Some things just don’t go together.

I’d never heard of this before seeing it on Yahoo! Finance today.

A spokesperson for the company offering a 401(k) debit card offers this, ahem, reasoning:

“…the cards give people a sense of confidence and control, which in turn encourages otherwise reluctant people to participate in retirement programs, knowing that their savings won’t be locked up for decades.”

Um, really? Call me old-fashioned, but the speed bumps hindering access to my retirement savings exist for my own good.

1. Spend more time improving your website than preparing your newsletter.
2. Stop charging fees for coin counters in your branches.
3. Send an important team member to a BarCampBank.
4. Sign up for a Wesabe account and see the future of personal finance management.
5. Get a Zopa CD and see the future of banking.
6. Buy an iPhone.
7. Contribute to networks like EverythingCU and Banktastic (I have invites to the latter).

J.D. asked “Is a 6.25% Checking Account Too Good to be True?”

Advantis Credit Union might not yet realize this, but this single post made yesterday may well prove the most effective marketing tool for the CU in the new year.

Why?

Less than 24 hours after being posted, a Google search for “Portland checking” put J.D.’s post at number 8. (Note that I didn’t specify Oregon or Maine.)

For “Portland checking account” it’s number 1.

For “Portland bank checking” it’s number 4.

Touchdown, Advantis. You can’t buy that kind of exposure.

Thousands, including me (and apparently Google), trust J.D.

I star and share items in Google Reader. I save links to del.icio.us.

I systematically capture but then I fail to remember.

Today, I’m rediscovering ideas buried in my brain. Laughing at the worst ones. Wishing I would’ve acted on the best.

One by one, I’m going through the links, “squeezing the orange” and crafting a plan for how to approach my new job.

While I wait for the start of the SEC Championship, my wife forces a trade: future sportszombie time for current husbandnerdout time. At her request, I’m watching the Travel Channel (or is it HGTV?).

A new BofA commercial comes on (no, we don’t have TiVo yet. I know, I know…). Voiceover talks about mobile banking meaning you can bank from anywhere. Then they point out online banking = you never have to go to the bank. I seem to remember other recent spots of theirs boasting a massive ATM network.

Bank is a verb, not a place.

By the way, how smart of a media buy is that: buying a spot on the Travel Channel about banking anywhere. Smart thinkin’, says me.

I’m leaving Trabian in less than a week, and I’m overwhelmed cleaning out my digital desk. I won’t bore you with the intricacies of switching from a Mac to a PC… or the differences between Windows Vista Home Basic and any of the 34 other versions I wish I had about right now.

Tougher than all that, Open Source CU won’t be my home anymore. After hundreds of posts and thousands of comments, I’m starting over.