An Angel’s Call

“Rick, this is Angel from Pacific Premier. I’m calling to tell you about something I discovered.”

Calls from Pacific Premier Bank (PPB) are routine. Its representatives – the same folks you see behind the counters – call to find out if service is okay, if anything is wrong or if there’s an additional service they might provide. Angel’s recent call had a surprising twist.

He explained he wanted to learn more about the company before calling. He visited our site, as well as several California government sites. He discovered an irregularity on one and told me about it. He then stayed on the line to ensure I located the glitch and began the correction process. Only then did he continue with the original reason for his call.

Angel had just proven his worth and more. Yet, he still wanted to be certain bank staffers were doing all they could to make my life better. This kind of stuff just doesn’t happen nowadays.

Other customers don’t recall regular calls from any bank – ever. We’re sure glad PPB makes them. It’s smart business, too. It wasn’t invited into the community. It was told to be here.

Just more than three years ago, it acquired the assets of a local bank. PPB had no choice in the matter. The FDIC-dictated process is aptly described by Ira Glass and Chana Jaffe-Walt in this segment, Unbreaking the Bank, from the program, This American Life.

What’s important is that PPB doesn’t let the drama described in this radio episode dictate how it does business. It lets its people, many of whom were already here; share their own stories about PPB and in their own ways that resonate with new and existing customers.

With its ongoing calling program, PPB folks get to tell these stories often, learn what customers want and improve banking experiences. As one customer said, “It’s like they’re really glad they’re here.”

For certain, Angel saved this customer tons of trouble. In doing so, he ensured greater loyalty to a relatively new bank brand. His story has been told many times since.

That storytelling, whether by employees or customers, strengthens a brand by personally articulating the core values of the business. When we make that storytelling easy, it encourages people to recognize it and highlight examples of integrity that define solid brands like PPB.

Surely, there’s another “Angel” out there. Tell us about him or her.