How should bank officials deal with irate customers upset that their bank is making profits of over £1 million a day? Perhaps they could point out that profit is the reward for risk and uncertainty, the return for enterprise and innovation and the return on capital invested by shareholders.

Maybe they could explain along the following lines: as the worker seeks a just wage, the landlord a just rent, the investor a just rate of return so the entrepreneur or business seeks a just reward for risk and uncertainty?

But that might just not be enough to convince the customer. Maybe the officials could try another line profits create "the seed corn" to support future growth. Farmers' customers might be impressed well, at least those in credit. Or maybe they could tell customers where the profits go: about 33 per cent paid in taxes, 33 per cent paid to shareholders in dividends and 33 per cent retained for future growth.

As a last resort they could try to convince the customer that their profits are not really that big like "our return is only about £1 on every £100 of assets invested . . . that's less than a depositor gets on £100 in a Special Savings Account". These are some of the suggestions AIB has made to the staff who are in the front line every time the bank announces new bumper profits!