Years ago, I tried to open an account at Firstar Bank in Roland. I had two small boys at the time and they accompanied me to the bank. The teller directed us to a waiting area while the person in the office finished with another customer.
A few minutes later when the office worker finished with the customer she looked out into the waiting area. I prepared to be called into the office when a man came bustling into the bank. He quickly spoke to a teller who pointed him to the woman in the office who'd just finished with the customer. He walked to her doorway, asked her a question and she motioned for him to sit down. She called out her doorway that she'd be with me in a minute.
Ten minutes later, she was finished with the bustling man. He left and I again prepared to be called into the office. By then another person was waiting for the office worker. She looked out and called the other person into her office. This time there was no assurance that she'd be with us "in a minute." In fact, she ignored our presence.
I suspect because I was dressed casually (it was summer) and had two active (though not inappropriately so) boys with me the woman in the office pigeonholed me as a less than desirable customer. She certainly did a good job at demonstrating that Firstar is a less than desirable place for me to have my accounts. read more
