I recently met a new Wells Fargo customer who relayed to me one of those legendary customer service stories that I as a team member like to hear about.

The day before she was to close on her new home, she learned that a money transfer from her bank in New York had failed and, in addition, the bank would not be able to process the transaction in time for her closing. Taking a friend's advice she stopped by a Wells Fargo branch and, after a few hours and some hard work from the bankers there, was able to secure her funds for the closing the next day.

Her story left me reflecting on Wells Fargo's long standing values of customer service, integrity and ethics.

There are examples of Wells Fargo's exceptional customer service in the stories from our past. During the California Gold Rush, Wells Fargo agents were known for their honesty when weighing gold for miners at a time when other bank agents were tipping the scales in their own favor. Agents also traveled to the gold fields to provide onsite service. Miners were able to handle their banking and express needs without leaving their claim unprotected or risking robbery  on the way to town. Wells Fargo and Co. was able to reliably deliver the mail  in a timely manner, something the US Post Office was unable to accomplish at the time, and customers were willing to pay extra for the excellent service.

Wells Fargo was going the extra mile for its customers from the very beginning, at a time when that extra mile was most likely on foot!

The same could not be said for other companies. One staging company — the Overland Stage Company  owned by Ben Holladay  — operated under a much different customer service philosophy. (I'd sum it up with the legend, "What ever the customer wants…too bad!") Holladay had no compunction about mistreating customers in order to make a profit. He left passengers and freight from the feeder line stranded at Fort Kearney   in order to pressure the feeder line company to sell out to him. Once he obtained a new stage line, Holladay often raised rates, lowered quality, and provided less service.

Holladay would compete with a small stage line by providing luxury coaches and extremely low fares. Then, when the competing company went out of business, he raised the fares to nearly double the original price and replaced the luxury coaches with wagons with wooden benches.

One customer of Holladay's Overland Stage Line stated, "If the earnestness and deep sincerity with which my maledictations are uttered could ensure there taking effect, I would not stand in Ben Holladay's shoes for two mail contacts." Holladay inspired such distaste  (it's a long article, so scroll down a little to the section titled "Ben Holliday") in customers and competitors alike that the competing companies, Wells Fargo, American Express, and United States Express, all cooperated in financing a stage line intended to put Holladay out of business. When a company is unable to provide customer service — like the bank that couldn't process the transfer, or is unwilling to meet the customers' needs like Holladay — it forces the consumer to seek alternatives.

And in the end, poor choices by other entities will work to the advantage of Wells Fargo team members, who take inspiration from our Company's history!