Weblining

You may think that getting graded A, B, or C ended with graduate school. Try getting Sanwa Bank to waive its $20 fee on your bounced check. Customer reps are trained to treat everyone politely. But your luck will depend on a little letter that pops up on a screen as soon as your name is punched into a computer, or when your e-mail arrives at Sanwa's server. If that letter is a "C," customer reps don't exactly hustle on your behalf. That's because machines whirring at Net-speed have lumped you--often in seconds flat--with other customers whose accounts don't make much money for the bank. But if you score an "A," you're right up there with the cream: Customers who generate hefty profits get bounced-check waivers, no questions asked. And B's? They're harder calls. They actually get to negotiate with the rep before their case is decided.

At First Union Bank, it's a similar story. Its Web-aided computer system, called "Einstein," takes just 15 seconds to pull up the ranking on a customer. First Union won't describe the formula in any detail, other than to say that the ranking software takes stock of minimum balances, account activity, branch visits, and other variables. But the color-coding that appears in a little square on the screen offers a hint. Greens get more flexibility on credit card rates. Reds receive less--and may pay higher fees for some basic services.