Chicago area Bridgeview Bank doesn't write me often, but when they do it's because they have some something important to say to me.  Or, at least that's what they tell me in the opening line:

      Greetings Neighbor,

      I have some great news that I felt I had to share with you regarding some the loan programs available at your local Bridgeview Bank.
 
Ok, so tell me Bridgeview, what are these great loan programs?  The letter continues:

      Please take the time to review the enclosed informational flyer regarding our current Home Equity Line of Credit special promotion.

Now, I've got a problem. Or should I say Bridgeview has a problem.  Rather than wow me with a great offer, they want me to go read some buckslip.  Gee, I hope their mail house got a buckslip in every letter.  Maybe Bridgeview didn't want to mention any specific product in their letter because some prospects got different offers than others (I doubt that redlining is going on here). 

And didn't they promise to tell me about "programs"?  My letter only contained one buck slip, about a really good home equity deal.  How great?  Well, the fine print—not the banner—tells me that the offer is Prime minus 1.26% for three years, then a tiered rate starting at Prime and going down depending upon my balance.  Why couldn't they tell me that in the letter copy?

I guess they wanted to be cheap.  I could see ghosting from the copy machine on the bottom part of my letter.  And then there was the imaged signature. The pixilated, jaggy, unreadable signiture looks gigantic on the page, taking up nine lines rather than the standard five lines called for with block letter formatting.  Somebody thinks they're more important than the message.
 
Nothing says personal service better than a Xerox copy of a letter that asks me to read something else to find out why I'm receiving their letter.