I cannot let my today’s experience with First Bank go, without saying something about it, of course!

Let me just start by saying how tired I am of changing banks. A few months after moving to Florida, I got a letter about BB&T charging for services if one doesn’t meet the criteria of keeping x amount of money in as well as x amount of direct deposit. As you all know, I had been unemployed for quite some time so… I didn’t make fit for any of that.

I closed that account with BB&T and then opened another one with Suntrust. Dan and I both have a joint account for Suntrust. We’ve used that to store our money for the move and then now our money to celebrate our 1 year in October. So, I went there.

Opened up an account a few months back with Suntrust, oh say, a few months LATER… I get a letter from them stating they were not only going to charge if I don’t have a certain amount in the bank BUT ALSO charging for use of a debit/credit card (the check card). Hmph. So, that doesn’t take effect until November, but I have been on the search since a month ago for a new bank that still allows free checking without all of those unnecessary fees.

The other day Dan and I were driving on US19 and saw First Bank from the highway. So that’s when I decided to check them out, I looked online and sure enough they still have free checking. Today I went and opened an account with them.

The service was wonderful, very helpful. I’ve opened so many bank accounts already that everything is pretty much the same minus give or take a few rules. Anyway, we signed papers – everything was a-go- and then I left.

When I got home, I listened to my message on the phone that the person helping me had forgotten to make a copy of my driver’s license and sign a few more papers.

I had no issue with driving back because I was going to be going back to US19 after lunch, anyhow.

When I came in, I was still treated like a Queen (like i had been the whole time while in there). They offered me coke or water because I had to come back. I turned them down because I was going to Starbucks. Then, they proceeded to give me a First Bank coffee cup thingy and a First Bank pen.

I was like ‘wow what just happened?!’

I was just shocked that they were pushing offering me something for my trouble of coming back. I mean, I know it’s just right around a corner, but damn! Great service, I’m impressed.

So if anyone needs to have a FREE checking account, they are definitely where it’s at. Their bank locations are around Pinellas County, just look them up online and you can see more.

This is pretty much the first time I’ve ever experience this. It all goes back to my love of a smaller business, anyway. With a smaller business, you have the time to dedicate to each customer and the chance to KEEP each customer by giving them a great experience each time. It’s unfortunate that the bigger businesses are carried by money signs in their eyes – giving them the unfocussed point of what the customer wants. Small businesses need your business, so they are going to be less selfish in ways that bigger businesses (corps) will be.