"Bank" Already Engrained in Members' Minds

I couldn’t help but share my thoughts on your online voting question, “Should credit unions eliminate `bank’ and `banking’ from their marketing vocabulary?” I’ve been in the credit union business for almost 31 years, as a branch manager, as VP of Branch Operations, as Historian and a host of other jobs with Navy Federal. And I have stood in my share of teller lines and listened to members and responded to a fair share of letters and phone calls. As much as we in the industry like to say we are different from banks (and I agree that when you deal with philosophical questions and the like, we most certainly are), I’ve found that the average member uses the word “bank” generically. They know they are in a credit union, and when forced to really consider the matter, they agree that we are different. But I hear them on their cell phones; “yes Martha, I’m here at the bank.” or telling an employee “I really love dealing with your bank.” Whether we like it or not, “bank” is a generic term to the vast majority of customers at financial institutions – they use the word like they use Scotch Tape for any adhesive tape found on a small portable roll or dispenser on your desk or Xerox for any copier. What has to matter to credit unions is that members, in the millions, continue to use us and the services that we provide and continually rank their credit union ahead of banks when it comes to services and relationships. I don’t think we will come up with a verb to replace “banking” very easily and I really don’t think we should worry about it. Why not “bank with us?” Is that so bad? Millions do. So put me down for a “no” vote. Jeff Dombroff Historian Navy FCU Vienna, Va.