Member business services? My credit union treats me like a nobody

I have a confession. I’ve been a customer of Bank of America for longer than I can remember. Yes, I have credit union accounts, but BofA has been my PFI for many years. So when I left Jack Henry two years ago to strike out on my own, I took the path of least resistance and opened my business accounts at BofA, too. The customer experience has been, in a word, exceptional, but more on that later.

Fast-forward to this past July when Heather Anderson and I formed OmniChannel Communications. We talked about it and agreed to open our business account at a credit union. After all, I thought to myself, how different could it be from BofA? Sadly, it’s been very different.

From the get-go, BofA made me feel special as a business customer. When I opened my account, I spoke with a person dedicated to business accounts. The next time I logged on to online banking, the branding had changed to a special business customer color scheme and look, with access to both my business and personal accounts. And whereas my personal accounts had a $10K monthly limit for mobile deposits, my new business accounts had a $50K limit. Like I said, I felt special.

I am, however, willing to forego that special feeling if my credit union can provide me with the same level of service. Apparently it can’t – or at least won’t.

For starters, Heather and I have to share online banking credentials at the credit union. Don’t get me wrong, our trust in each other is absolute. But I’ve been friends with Jim Stickley long enough to know this just ain’t right.

Here’s something else that isn’t right: My credit union requires a second login for business billpay. That’s inconvenient, frustrating and just plain dumb.

Remember my $50K monthly limit for mobile deposits at BofA? At my credit union, the limit is a measly $5K per day. That means if we receive two checks totaling more than $5K, I either have to mobile-deposit them on different days or go to the branch. Heaven forbid we should get a single check larger than $5K; that’s a mandatory trip to the branch. And what really rubs salt in the wound is that my business account has the same mobile-deposit limits as Uncle Guido’s personal checking account.

Speaking of deposits, BofA never put a hold on a single check. I received next-day availability for mobile deposits and instant availability for branch deposits. Once on a road trip through Texas, I picked up a $27K check from a client in Austin and deposited it at a BofA branch in Boerne. I had immediate availability for the entire $27K. I was stunned – in a very good way.

If I don’t have a current balance in my credit union account that’s twice the amount of my deposit, a two-day hold is placed on that check, just like when Uncle Guido deposits a big check from … well, you really don’t wanna know. I’m just another brick in the wall, baby (and probably part 3, at that).

Oh, and don’t even get me going about business debit cards.

Small businesses drive the economy. They are special. Credit unions should treat them specially, if not for their contributions to the local economy, then just because they offer a significant revenue opportunity for the credit union. Any credit union that thinks it can slap “BUSINESS” on a personal checking account and call it a commercial account is delusional.

John San Filippo

John San Filippo

John is the co-founder of OmniChannel Communications, Inc., a company that specializes in B2B marketing to community financial institutions. He started out in the savings and loan industry, but wisely ... Web: www.omnichannelcommunications.com Details