Pre-Meal for Aug 26, 2026Not Everyone Wants to Feel Seen

Happy Wednesday!

Security experts call it the Good Morning Rule: every person who walks through the door is acknowledged with a greeting and eye contact.

In a restaurant and lots of other businesses, that’s just basic hospitality, right? But when implemented at a bank, it has a surprising effect. A short greeting at the front door has been shown to significantly reduce robberies—so much so that the National Credit Union Administration officially recommends the practice.

I learned about this a couple of weeks ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it. The welcome works for a couple of reasons. For starters, it robs an amateur thief of the anonymity they’re counting on. And even a quick “hello” establishes a relationship, however superficial; it’s harder to rob someone you know. Finally, that greeting demonstrates right off the bat that people are paying attention.

The Good Morning Rule may be bad news for the bad guys, but it’s good news for a customer. Because everyone wants to feel seen—except a bank robber.

Bank security is above my pay grade. But no matter what you do or sell, it’s worth noting how those very first few moments of an interaction can change everything that happens next.

Have a great service,

Will