Doing business in the 21st

Doing business in the 21st century (if we assume 2000 is the 21st century and not the final year of the 20th, which since we're six months into it now, I'll say we're close enough) doesn't seem to be very futuristic. Wouldn't you speculate that one of the benefits of using a nationwide bank, e.g. Wells Fargo, would be access to more than 1,800 branches and in store locations in 10 states, presumably connected by a cutting-edge network of computers shooting your data every which way? So why can't I open a second business account at a different branch than where I opened the first one? If they have the necessary paperwork at one branch, and our account information in their computers, isn't that good enough? No, according to the woman who this morning thwarted my efforts to expand our banking portfolio. Now I have to return with our articles of incorporation and fill out a Business New Account Application, or return to the branch where I opened the account. Explain to me how this is different than using Joe's Sunset Bank or Bank of SOMA?