WEST JORDAN, Utah — Jim Ackerman, owner of Ascend Marketing, is raving about switching his business accounts from a major bank to Mountain America Credit Union.
In a March 10 letter to the Enterprise Business Group, a weekly publication targeting small businesses, Ackerman wrote of his experience with a bank as he made the shift to moving his business to his home.
"They always made me work hard to do business with them," Ackerman wrote of his bank. "They never went out of their way to get to know me or my business, but they didn't actively hamper my efforts either."
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Ackerman acknowledged that his bank was "pretty accommodating with commercial lines of credit and the like, even if they made me jump through a few hoops."
The relationship changed when Ackerman moved his marketing business into his home. He said he found himself "less and less enamored with the prospect of having to run to the bank to make deposits" and wondered why he couldn't execute the transactions online.
Enter the $2.3 billion Mountain America Credit Union. Annette Zimmerman, senior vice president of business services, introduced Ackerman to Dan Summerhays from the business services departments at a networking event. During the course of conversation, Ackerman explained his frustration with the deposit run. Summerhays solved that problem by offering to come by Ackerman's home to pick up deposits, and the business owner ended up opening an account at Mountain America.
The relationship didn't stop there, Ackerman wrote to the publication. Summerhays took a genuine interest in Ackerman's business and even showed up at one of his presentations to get a better idea on what services the credit union could offer. Summerhays also referred a business to Ackerman.
"He actually sent me a client," Ackerman wrote. "When was the last time your financial institution did that for you?"
Mountain America recently held its annual business services open house where Ackerman got to meet Gordon Dames, president/CEO of the credit union and Don Clark, executive vice president. Clark said if everything checked out, they would be interested in putting Ackerman's business on the Mountain America preferred vendor list.
"Who ever heard of such a thing from a financial institution," Ackerman wondered. "Your typical banker is stiff as a board. Last thing these guys want to do is stick their necks out by recommending one business to another."
The lesson here? In his letter, Ackerman suggested "Do as Mountain America Credit Union does."
"Proactively work for the good of your clients. Take care of them first. When you do, they'll take care of you, and the sky is the limit."
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