U.S. Bank

Though I live in southeast Michigan, Oak Harbour holds my ‘neighbourhood’ branch of US Bank because the powers that be have yet to move a proper bank branch north of the border. While I fight a campaign of suggestions and positive feedback to lobby for US Bank to expand beyond ATMs and mortgages in the Detroit metro area, I rely upon the prompt service and kind staff in Ohio to take care of the very rare times when I need to be in person.
Even in a paperless era, certain activities just can’t be done anywhere but in front of a teller. Case in point, the cashier’s cheque to close on my newly purchased house. This hefty amount isn’t something I could sign onto a personal cheque and have a title company take me seriously. US Bank sadly does not authorize over the phone transactions or issue cashier’s cheques and money orders via express courier, like my mutual fund company does. So, down to Ohio I went first thing on a Saturday morning.
This US Bank is easy to find on the main drag, well-​marked by a sign slightly smaller than the branch itself. The building has an enormous parking lot shared with the local grocery store, and in a nice touch, donation bins for the Goodwill inside an enclosed, all-​weather hut structure. Community involvement plays a big role for US Bank, and this branch featured lots of graduation paraphernalia from the local high school in a pretty display. A community bulletin board advertised everything from safe investment courses to lawnmowing services.
I didn’t have long to wait before wandering up to the counter, and the teller handled my transaction with a minimum of fuss. She wrangled a rebellious printer trying to be on weekend hours, and waited on another customer graciously when I made a quick call to my loan agent to ensure names and amounts were right. Turns out I wasn’t told whom to make the cheque –to-​! Oops. But she handled everything in stride and with a smile, then I was on my way.
Lovely customer service all around came without any serious delays or major fusses. Another point, they have plenty of handwritten, filled out deposit and withdrawal slips to educate their customers on what information is needed. Another time saving trick that comes as a gentle reminder.