A story in Bob Sullivan’s new book Gotcha Capitalism shows one of the first points when companies realized they could make more money by getting rid of their customers. The year was 1995, and First National Bank of Chicago decided to charge customers a $3 fee for talking to a teller. The move was lambasted in the press and by comedians, and analysts predicted a severe decline in profits as customers fled in protest. Instead, First National Bank’s percentage of customers producing an “adequate return” went from 33% to 45%, and profit went up 28%. How does this work? Bob writes:

…satisfying the right customers is the goal, but pissing off the wrong customers is equally important…[D]epositors with large accounts were exempt from such fees…Only irritating customers with tiny bank accounts who asked a lot of questions went elsewhere….Chasing away undesirable customers with outrageous fees has been an important element of the banking business ever since.

And every other service industry as well.

RELATED: Need a Teller? A Big Bank Plans $3 Fee [NYT]
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