09 Apr 09 Bring back the bank manager

Retail banking in the UK for small businesses has never been the same since the Bank Manager disappeared from the High Street Bank.

For many years, when it came time to renew our bank overdraft facilities, our local bank manager (I use the term loosely, our bank is 65 miles from our place of business) would call in to see us along with our accountant to see for himself the way the business looked, discuss the figures, ask what our plans for the year were – and generally do a discreet “health check”. He never made a journey just to see us – we were quite happy to see him on his way to a meeting at head office – or returning home from other business trips.

The business banking section of our bank is now automated – with very little human intervention (or so I am led to believe). When I do have to speak to a business banking team member, I am told that charges happen automatically – and there is no feeling for the quality of our business or the honesty and reliability of us as people and customers of the banking service.

“Bring back bank managers, please,” is my request to the banking industry. Allow for some discretion in your banking rules – and we can all get back to running our businesses.