Online Appointment Scheduling - Great tool or Gimmicky Feature?

Last week someone pointed out a new feature to me on the Bank of America web site. If you enter the location finder tool, you are given a subtle option to "schedule a small business appointment." The feature isn't available for all branches and is being targeted at those branches that are equipped to handle small business needs.

Once you click to schedule the appointment, a new window opens and you are asked a few simple questions.

After filling out the form, the user is directed to a new screen where they select an appointment date/time from a calendar.

The final screen asks the user to input their contact information and confirm the appointment. This is an interesting move by Bank of America as it provides an automated tool to small businesses while focusing on the importance of the relationship between the bank and the business. The problem is that this tool is buried within the branch location finder and is not tied to the small business section of the bank's web site. Perhaps it is still a very new tool and is not fully rolled out, but it would make sense to have it properly integrated within the appropriate sections of the web site and mobile banking offerings. Bank of America has the right idea with this tool and I expect other banks to follow with similar offerings. I welcome your comments and am curious to hear what you think of this initiative - please feel free to post your comments and questions. I am starting to see a lot more emphasis on small business banking in 2010 and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I am currently working on a small business online banking report, please stay tuned for more info.