Study: Merc best for small business service.(Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. reportedly had best customer service)(Brief Article)

Baltimore-based Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Co. provides the best customer service to local small-business owners, according to a new study by Greenwich Associates, an influential bank consulting firm.

The study found that Bank of America of Charlotte, N.C., has the greatest penetration of the small-business market in Baltimore. That's no surprise considering that Bank of America has the second largest share of deposits in the Baltimore area -- behind Allfirst -- with $5.7 billion in deposits, or 17 percent of the market, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

But when it comes to keeping small-business owners happy, local bank Mercantile did …