I agree with balding eagle. You go on about the virtue of companies spending for good customer service while...
"But I also use ING (an internet bank, no brick and mortar), quite impressive the interest I am receiving"
... you send your business out where there is none because you get a return your wouldn't get if the internet company had to pay for customer service.
Could it be that, without the service offered by the local banks, he wouldn't use them at all? That it is their service that earns them a share of his banking, despite their noncompetitive rates?
Some people seem to have a difficult time comprehending this.
Ah well, I don't see a meeting of the minds on this. But I will respond with this:
Of the money I have in banking institutions, 90% is with LOCAL (by that I mean in my little town of 9,000 people) institutions, 10% with ING (the internet bank). ING provides me with a place to park the minority of my money in a liquid state that draws relatively high interest.
If you both think that 10% of my money somehow makes me disloyal to the local banks, then there isn't much I can say to that.
Do you do more than 10% of your retail shopping at big box stores? If you do, then you have no room to talk.