在歐洲危機中盛開的小銀行

????希爾預測，到今年年底Metro的存款額將達到9億美元。但這只是一個開始。他的目標是在大倫敦區開設200家分支機構，取得5%的市場占有率，這大約是2005年左右Commerce在紐約大都會地區的占有率。為此，現有存款需要膨脹約90倍至約800億美元，是Commerce售予Toronto Dominion 時規模的兩倍。對希爾而言，銀行業大把的錢來自于低成本存款的累積。梅里迪斯?惠特尼表示，“弗農基于服務的模式重塑了美國銀行業，在英國也有望如此?！?/p>

????希爾心愛的約克郡特里爾杜菲爾德（昵稱杜菲）在Metro營銷活動中占據主導地位?！岸欧茣阢y行開業時露臉，但它不喜歡獎給狗狗的小食，”希爾說，他承認杜菲吃的是羊排和煙熏大馬哈魚。因此，希爾在給愛狗的顧客分發三種狗食小樣，請他們投票，他們的寵物最喜歡哪種，將來他將在分支機構提供最受歡迎的狗狗小食?！坝幸馑嫉氖窃谶@里，狗狗真的能投票，”希爾表示。

????倫敦也在投票，人們正在走向這些裝飾著紅色大M的玻璃屋，希望獲得前所未有的、歡樂輕松的銀行服務。

????譯者：早稻米

????Hill predicts that Metro will reach $900 million in deposits by year-end. But that's just the beginning. He's aiming to open 200 branches in Greater London, and capture 5% of the market, about the share Commerce held in metro New York in the mid-2000s. That would swell the current level of deposits by around 90 times, to an estimated $80 billion, double the size at Commerce when it sold to Toronto Dominion. And for Hill, the big money in banking is in accumulating low-cost deposits. Says Meredith Whitney, "Vernon's service-based model reinvented retail banking in America and is on the same path in Britain."

????Hill's beloved Yorkshire terrier, Sir Duffield, or Duffy for short, plays a central role in Metro's marketing. "Duffy shows up at openings, but he didn't like the dog treats," says Hill, who confesses that Duffy dines on rack of lamb and smoked salmon. So Hill is handing out three samples of treats to his dog-loving customers, and asking them to vote on which one their pets like best. He'll offer the most popular treat at the branches. "The beauty of it is that the dogs are really voting," declares Hill.

????Londoners are voting too, by heading for those big glass cubes decorated with the giant red M for a treat they never expected, the festive, fun side of banking.