Richard Mitchell had heard plenty of unusual claims from customers. People sometimes announced that they knew the bank president, that their lawyer would call, or that they would have an employee fired before the end of the day. Most of those threats disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
He placed David's statement into the same category.
"The owner?" Richard repeated. "Sir, I don't have time for games."
David looked at him without blinking. "Then don't treat this as a game."
Richard shook his head and reached for the telephone. "I'm calling security."
"That's your decision," David replied. "But before you do, I suggest you contact the branch manager."
"I already told you the manager is busy."
"Then contact the regional office."
Richard hesitated. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I am David Carter."
The name meant nothing to Richard at first. He continued holding the telephone, his fingers resting on the buttons.
David spoke again, calmly and clearly. "David Carter. Chairman of Sterling National Bank."
Richard's eyes narrowed. He looked toward the small framed photograph on the wall behind the counter. It showed the bank's leadership team at an annual meeting. David's face was in the center, beneath a simple caption identifying him as chairman.
Richard looked back at the man in the leather jacket.
His expression changed.
"Wait," he said. "You're—"
"Yes."
Richard lowered the telephone slightly. "I didn't recognize you."
"That wasn't the problem."
"I didn't know who you were."
"That wasn't the problem either."
Richard swallowed. "Sir, I was only trying to explain the procedure."
David nodded toward the waiting area. "You explained the procedure to me. You also told me that I might not belong here because I asked to speak with a manager."
"I didn't mean it that way."
"How did you mean it?"
Richard opened his mouth, then closed it.
A woman behind the counter had heard the exchange. She looked from David to Richard, then quietly stepped away from her computer. A few customers were now openly watching.
David did not raise his voice. "If I had been an ordinary customer with no ownership interest in this bank, would your words have been acceptable?"
Richard adjusted his tie. "No, sir."
"Would they have been acceptable if I were a customer with a small account?"
"No."
"Would they have been acceptable if I were someone who had never heard of Sterling National Bank until this morning?"
Richard lowered his eyes. "No, sir."
"Then why did you say them?"
Richard looked trapped. "It was a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding is when two people fail to understand each other. You refused to listen to me."
The branch's side door opened. A man in his early fifties hurried into the lobby, fastening the top button of his suit jacket as he approached. He was Daniel Foster, the branch manager. His expression suggested that someone had already told him something was wrong.
"Mr. Carter," Daniel said quickly. "I apologize. I was informed that you were here. I should have come out immediately."
David turned toward him. "Good morning, Daniel."
"Good morning, sir. Please, come into my office."
David glanced at Richard. "I would prefer to continue this conversation here for a moment."
Daniel's smile became less certain. "Of course."
David gestured toward the counter. "I came here with a concern about how customer complaints are handled. Mr. Mitchell refused to hear the concern, refused to contact a manager, and suggested that perhaps this bank wasn't for me."
Daniel looked at Richard. "Is that what happened?"
Richard's face had gone pale. "I didn't realize—"
Daniel interrupted him. "That isn't what he asked."
Richard looked down. "I was trying to manage the line."
David turned back to Daniel. "Is that the standard you expect from your senior employees?"
"No, sir. Absolutely not."
"Then we have a problem."
Daniel nodded rapidly. "I'll address it immediately."
David looked around the lobby. "I don't want this handled as a performance for me. I want to understand whether customers are experiencing this treatment when nobody important is watching."
Daniel's expression tightened at the word important.
David noticed.
"Let's go to your office," he said. "But I want the customer-service records, complaint reports, and branch performance summaries available."
Daniel hesitated. "Certainly. May I ask what specifically you're looking for?"
"An honest picture of how this branch treats people."
Richard remained behind the counter, silent. He had spent the morning believing he was dealing with an ordinary customer who could be dismissed.
Now the chairman was standing in his lobby, asking questions that could reach far beyond one rude conversation.