Well, it’s official. The WaMu in my building has now become a Chase:
I’ll be interested to see if Chase keeps any aspects of the old WaMu. While the bank was run by a bunch of terrible executives, they did provide one great thing: the experience of using the bank. You didn’t stand in a line, instead you went to a ‘greeter’ who took you to the right person to help you; you didn’t talk to someone via a reinforced bulletproof glass window, you did it side by side. (At one point, WaMu was recognized by Fortune magazine for this). I hope Chase realizes that the retail experience had nothing to do with the collapse of the bank and doesn’t do away with it completely…