Dabs usability by numbers

I just popped onto the Dabs.com site to take a look at laptops. I was presented with a message "Use our tabs to navigate through the site".

Genius. I'd have sat staring at that page for days if they hadn't told me.

Banking on common sense

My bank knows a lot about me. If you add up the time I've spent using my bank cards, filling in forms and opening their junkmail, I probably spend more time with my bank than with my mum.

Why then does the information they use to confirm my identify not match the information they use to send me a new credit card?

Why then does half the bank know I've moved but the other half doesn't?

Why then do they seem to forget everything they know about me each time I apply for a new product?

As "knowledge is power", banks have the potential to be one of the most powerful organisations around. They know so much, yet they do so little. They have the potential to create some of the most relevant, meaningful experiences for their customers, yet they don't.

So what is the answer? Bigger, better IT Systems? Re-engineered processes? Quality assurance testing? Maybe. Or maybe just common sense.

Most (if not all) good experiences are about applying common sense. You'd think banks would have some.