Dear Wells Fargo

So you all probably think I'm quick to complain and not as quick to compliment, but I promise that's completely contrary to the way I operate. I actually love giving praise to a person or company moreso than giving criticism (but you'd better believe that life is much more pleasant for you if you stay on my good side). In fact, it should be stated that during my call to Albertson's 877 number Monday night, I told LaTonya that I wanted to make it very clear that I have never been mistreated by anyone at that Albertson's store before that evening, and she actually let me file two compliment reports (if you want to call them that) about other workers. Brandon and Braydon, you are the most helpful grocery store workers ever!

But let's rewind to last week - or rather, a few years ago. When Josh and I married, we added my name to his banking accounts at America First Credit Union for a variety of reasons, but I never closed my Wells Fargo accounts because I'm lazy and there are many more WF branches lurking around than AFCU branches. I've had my WF accounts since 1996 - back when it was a First Security account (before WF bought them out).

When we moved to Las Vegas, we figured we'd have to go with WF because AFCU is only in Utah. It just so happened that there was a WF in a shopping complex less than a mile from our house - perfect, except that every single person at that branch was terribly rude. I've never known any customer service personnel more focused on making things as difficult as possible for their customers as that entire branch. It was absolute torture to do the simplest of tasks there, and I didn't go in more than 1-2 times per month. Luckily for us, a few months later we embraced the beauty that is ING Direct and linked our WF and AFCU checking accounts to our ING accounts. We dumbed down the WF account as much as possible and only kept the checking account out of the necessity of having a local branch to make deposits to. But as quickly as those deposits posted, we transferred them to ING, so we've not kept a balance of more than $25 in WF since June 2006.

Anyway, when we moved back to Utah, we planned to close the WF account completely, use AFCU for our deposits and keep ING for everything else. But once again, there is a WF branch much closer to my house (same shopping plaza as the Albertson's), and the nearest AFCU is almost 2 miles away, so I haven't closed the account. And I'm glad, because as I've made sporadic deposits here and there over the last 16 months, I've learned that...

My new Wells Fargo branch is full of nice people. REALLY nice people. Almost sickeningly nice. They want my business and they'll go out of their way to make sure I'm always taken care of and promptly. I love it. They coo over Grayson and always offer me a pen and a sucker when I use the drive-up window. I ♥ them.

Ironically, I told them these things just last week. An exceptionally nice girl helped me at the window and when my transaction was complete I asked her if the manager was available. After noting her deer-in-headlights look, I assured her it wasn't anything bad, I just wanted to pay her a compliment. And I did. A big one. I told the manager about my branch in Vegas and suggested that she take her staff down there and teach them how to treat their customers. I told her I don't expect the red carpet considering I don't really use any of their services and only keep a very small amount of money in my account, but I appreciate it anyway. After referring to myself as an 'unimportant customer' she quickly interrupted me and assured me I was NOT unimportant. Then she apologized for interrupting.

Fast forward one week and lookit what arrived in the mail today (no, not Grayson, the card he's holding): It's a card from Wells Fargo thanking me for my business. It says, "Thank you so much for your feedback today. We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your business. Thank you again." Jodi signed it. Melissa signed it. Crystal Hanson signed it. Somebody Campbell signed it. Even a doctor signed it! And most of them also included their own little diddy to me. So in summary I just want to say that Wells Fargo, although I won't be making you my primary banking institution any time soon, you just scored some really big points with me. I'm going to remember this.