Charles Wendel

Customer meeting

Article

Dec 2, 2019

When we recently interviewed ten customers of lending institutions — all business clients from small and middle-market companies — they cut through the noise. They gave direct comments, frankly revealed their experiences, and, yes, sometimes even […]
Customer Service

Article

Jul 15, 2019

Hotel chains such as Marriott International—with multiple brands under a corporate umbrella—can provide bank marketers for with the ultimate destination for fresh ideas. Here’s why: Hotel chains often have a lock on maintaining customer satisfaction even […]
green banking2

Article

Jun 13, 2019

Listen closely: A faint drumbeat builds in intensity and volume. Listen closely: You can hear consumer activists, politicians, commentators from the left and right, and competitors as they highlight what they view as the improper actions […]
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Article

May 17, 2019

If a “secret sauce” exists to improve bank performance, it’s likely via capturing and retaining low-cost deposits. Low-cost funds feed a strong net interest margin and allow lenders to maintain a strong discipline and avoid higher […]
digital revolution

Article

Apr 12, 2019

Bureaucratic by nature and subject to an increasingly complex tangle of internal compliance and external regulation, banks approach change cautiously—especially when it impacts how customers interact with them. And with digitization, it’s hardly any different. While […]
digital customer

Article

Mar 15, 2019

Generational shifts and the digital revolution have come to the financial services industry, changing how a good number of customers view a banking “relationship.” If nothing else, banks have remained consistent. They continue to prize traditional […]
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Article

Jun 8, 2017

Financial services organizations are used to increased regulatory requirements for FinTech and other vendors—so accustomed, in fact, that the established due diligence review process to assesses a vendor’s capabilities now reads like a regulation laundry list. […]
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Article

Jul 22, 2016

When channel switching on TV, I always tend to linger on three programs: Kitchen Nightmares with the always-profane Gordon Ramsey, Restaurant: Impossible with Robert Irvine, and Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer. Each host operates as a […]
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Article

Jun 3, 2016

Over the past year, the alternative lending industry has taken several steps forward and, then, a big leap backward. The most notable step forward centers on the relationship between OnDeck Capital and JPMorgan Chase & Co. […]
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Article

May 2, 2016

Microbusinesses, defined as firms with annual revenues of less than $1 million, constitute 90% of all businesses and thus represent a significant opportunity for banks. But given the small size of loans involved in this segment, […]
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Article

Apr 14, 2016

“Why should we bother with small businesses? Your own numbers say most banks lose money from small business loans.” – Retail bank head, Northeast “We are much more interested in the middle market than small businesses. […]