MONEY TALK

One of my first “welcome to Chestertown” rites of passage was to find a good bank. When I moved here in 2006 from California, I set out to find one using the First Impression Technique. I left my new apartment, and after walking only two blocks I found an excellent bank: it was closest to my house. (Always a plus when one must rush to make a hefty deposit to cover a 3- or 4-digit monthly utility bill.) Its facade was winning: real marble columns, nice garden, it looked to be more than a year old. I walked in and read a brochure while waiting for customer service and noticed fees for things that I thought were normally free…but no matter. It was convenient. After filling out the account application, I asked for a list of this bank’s ATMs.
(Screeching sound.)
“We don’t have ATMs.”
“Not one?”
“No.”
My first thought was: no ATM, possibly no shredder. I picked up my app before I returned to the street, armed with questions for the rest of the banks, including ”Is there a fee for X,Y, and Z?” and “Do you cater to people who like to put plastic cards in machines and watch cash come out?”
After a few hours spent making the rounds, it turned out that the winner of the Best First Impression Award was only another 2 1/2 blocks away from home. Phew.