Keeping FirstMerit customers tops Huntington’s to-do list

Since Huntington Bancshares completed its $3.4 billion acquisition of Akron-based FirstMerit in August, it has had plenty to do. Tops on the list: making sure that FirstMerit customers stick with Huntington. Hanging on to customers is no small thing. In a typical bank deal, 10 to 20 percent of customers of the bank being acquired might be at risk of leaving, said Bruce Clapp, president of Market Match, a Dayton-based financial-marketing company.