Cultivating a positive relationship with your banking establishment isn’t just about being polite to the teller at the drive-up window. It’s about creating a long-term, personal, financial, and business relationship that can provide significant benefits.

Bank customers that interact regularly with bank employees often enjoy more personalized service than those that shun the teller windows for the ATM all the time, or who switch banks regularly shopping for rates.

“[The relationship] doesn’t happen instantly,” said Mary Hoover, vice president and branch manager of American Marine Bank’s Silverdale office. “You get to know each other personally and professionally, you learn the customer’s likes and dislikes.”

As she gets to know a customer, Hoover can then help that customer find the right financial tools that can improve their personal or business finances.

“We’re not out to sell a particular product,” she said, “It becomes more about helping that customer and that customer’s business.”

“Know your banker because that’s going to get you some extra mileage,” said Kevin Baggerly, branch manager at Timberland Bank’s Silverdale branch.

As branch manager, Baggerly is often called upon to resolve customer issues. The first question he often asks is, “who is this person?” If bank employees have a relationship with that customer, it can simplify things significantly.

Similarly, banks can help businesses manage their accounts more accurately.

“We look at incoming items and decide what to pay every morning,” said Baggerly. “If we understand how the account works, it’s easier to decide whether to deposit or return specific items.”

Not surprisingly the best way to build a relationship with your bank is just about the same as building any other kind of relationship: communication, honesty, trust, and time.

“Communication is probably the prime word,” said Baggerly. This runs the gamut from everyday banking transactions to issues that might arise with your account. For example, banks are more than willing to work with customers who may need guidance on balancing their checkbook. But the time to ask for that assistance is before the account is overdrawn.

Hoover also notes that maintaining all your accounts at one bank – personal, business, wealth management, and so on, is a great way to build that relationship.

“When a customer has all their accounts at our bank, we really know a lot about that person,” said Hoover. “There’s nothing more personal than financial affairs. It’s all part of trust.”

It’s not hard to establish this type of relationship with bank employees. Mostly all it takes is a little one-on-one interaction on a regular basis, something that many banks encourage, since customer service may very well be the only factor that distinguishes one bank from another.

“We really tout that if you come in you can talk to a real person,” said Baggerly. “Products offered bank to bank are all very similar,” he said. “It all comes down to customer service.”

“In this town there’s a bank on every corner,” said Hoover. “When you give of yourself it comes back to you in a good way.”

A sure way to sabotage your relationship with your banker? Dishonesty. Unethical financial practices. Not maintaining your good credit.

“Part of American Marine Bank’s mission statement is to be ethical in all customer and employee dealings,” said Molly Hall Fairchild, vice president of commercial lending for American Marine Bank. “Basically we want to maintain all our relationships ethically and with character and integrity. The perfect customer mirrors those attributes.”.