“Competent people, a seasoned group of managers and very low turnover” are, according to Senior Vice President and Regional Manager John Stimson, the keys to success for Bank of the West, selected as Best Consumer Bank by readers of NorthBay biz. “We’re part of a larger structure, but we don’t act like a big, impersonal financial institution. When you call one of our branches, you don’t get a recorded voice; you get a real human being. Not many consumer banks these days are willing or able to offer anything close to the level of personal service that’s the norm at Bank of the West.”
Indeed, the bank is part of a larger structure, even if it doesn’t behave that way. It’s now more than 130 years old and has expanded from its initial territory—California—to current market positions in Arizona, Colorado and states in the West, Midwest and across the Plains. With upward of $61 billion in assets, more than 700 commercial and consumer banking locations and nearly 11,000 employees, the bank has found a way to sustain a strong focus on superior customer service, promoted with the familiar Bank of the West bear brand.
“We’re very excited, flattered and honored with this award,” says Stimson. “It’s great to be recognized by NorthBay biz readers. There’s enormous competition in financial services these days. Our customers stay with us over the long haul, and this lets us generate a number of cross-selling opportunities.”
Aside from low turnover, Stimson cites the wide range of services Bank of the West can offer due to its strengths as an organization. “The turnover situation is really remarkable, and it’s one reason our customers stay with us. In the North Bay region, we have 19 branches and slightly more than 200 employees. Most of our managers have been with us for at least five years, and a couple have been with us for 20 or more. This is in direct contrast to what you see in the larger, national banks, where turnover is much more prevalent. Having these long-term employees makes it so much easier for us to develop customer relationships and build trust and rapport. As I said, when you call us on the phone, you aren’t going into voice mail. We have a practice in the bank that no inbound phone call is allowed to ring more than three times. We take pride in our efforts.”
The bank’s wide range of services help attract consumers and businesses alike. Consumers are offered checking, savings, CDs, debit and credit cards, online banking, wealth and trust services, mortgages and consumer loans. For small business, there’s business checking, cash management, merchant services, loans and lines of credit, and SBA lending. Beyond consumer banking, the company specializes in areas such as agribusiness, religious institutions, commercial real estate and construction, health care, government agencies and municipalities, and equipment financing.
