Bank Teller: A Job Seeking Recognition
17 March 2009
Read by 8375 persons
Tellers are the face of the bank. The job requires experience, self-control, and communication skills. Dealing with angry customers, risk of errors, pressure from management...stress is constant. The teller is one of the few employees who can be found in the same position for many years.
The teller is one of the first people you meet when you enter a bank. They handle cash withdrawals and deposits, transfers, and other banking transactions. They also guide and advise customers, offering products and services. They can help with cash flow problems, acting as an intermediary with the branch manager for minor overdrafts. The teller is also one of the few employees you might find in the same position for many years in the same branch, because it's not a job given to just anyone. Repetitive tasks are a significant part of the job. But it also requires understanding how transactions work, constantly adapting to organizational and procedural changes, being a good communicator, and above all, keeping calm in any situation. It's such a sensitive job that the bank tellers we interviewed all spoke anonymously. These employees, like their other front-office colleagues (customer service representatives or administrative staff), are the public face of the bank. They see dozens of customers every day, and their interactions greatly influence the bank's image. They must answer all questions, handle urgent matters, and sometimes even act as a confidant to regular customers. The teller is also an outlet for angry customers. Unable to reach a manager or branch head to vent their anger about high fees, long wait times due to understaffing, or delayed transfers, they take it out on the teller. "Once, a customer called me a dog because I refused an overdraft. I can't break the rules," laments one teller. That's why he prefers smaller branches where almost all the customers are known by name.
Not Raising Your Voice to an Angry Customer
There are many similar stories. Sometimes, arguments can escalate. In January, in France, a bank employee – a wealth management advisor – was stabbed to death by a client following an argument. While she wasn't a teller, her fate highlights the risks faced by front-office staff. Remaining calm, trying to persuade rather than impose a viewpoint, offering to see a supervisor instead of arguing back: when dealing with an angry customer, whether in a bank or a shop, these are the best approaches, advises a sales training instructor. In short, you have to take it, swallow your anger, and let the storm pass.
Trust: The Main Criterion for the Position
"Sometimes it's not easy to hold back, because there are customers who think they can do anything. Some protest when asked for ID, saying that having an account shouldn't mean they are treated differently, i.e., against internal procedures," protests a teller who feels the job isn't valued enough.
In fifteen years, he says he's never had a problem with a client. Nevertheless, there are days when he wants to quit. The stress is constant, especially since nobody is immune to making a costly mistake. That's why the position is given to experienced, trustworthy people. Newspaper job ads for this type of position are rare. Banks also avoid using specialized recruitment agencies. "It's all internal mobility. Banks are looking for trustworthy people," notes Ali Serhani, a consultant at Gesper Services. Selma Khairane, marketing manager at Manpower Morocco, agrees. "Banks prefer experienced people," she adds. Trust is the key word. You don't give the keys to the vault to just anyone. The story of an employee from a northern bank branch who gave clients fake deposit slips shows the potential for misconduct. When you handle millions of dirhams a day while earning barely more than 6,000 DH a month, the temptations are great. "Sometimes it's small amounts taken from the till to make ends meet or pay unexpected debts," confirms a branch manager, who points out that recent recommendations from the Moroccan Banking Professional Group are pushing for more control to avoid problems.
Despite the obvious difficulties, the teller position is essential for understanding how the bank works. And for marketing departments, the teller is an important source of market intelligence.
Training
A diploma equivalent to a bac+2, such as a BTS or DUT in commerce/management, is generally required. Extensive banking experience is always necessary.
Salary
Between 3,000 and 6,000 gross DH per month, excluding internal bonuses or those set by the collective agreement between the Interbank Trade Union and the GPBM. The salary scale according to grades, semi-annual bonuses, overtime, and various allowances are set by the same text.
Career Progression
Typical progression involves managing increasingly complex transactions and then becoming an administrative manager. It's also possible to become a branch manager or higher with further training.
Brahim Habriche
Published March 16, 2009
Posted online March 16, 2009
lavieeco.com
The teller is one of the first people you meet when you enter a bank. They handle cash withdrawals and deposits, transfers, and other banking transactions. They also guide and advise customers, offering products and services. They can help with cash flow problems, acting as an intermediary with the branch manager for minor overdrafts. The teller is also one of the few employees you might find in the same position for many years in the same branch, because it's not a job given to just anyone. Repetitive tasks are a significant part of the job. But it also requires understanding how transactions work, constantly adapting to organizational and procedural changes, being a good communicator, and above all, keeping calm in any situation. It's such a sensitive job that the bank tellers we interviewed all spoke anonymously. These employees, like their other front-office colleagues (customer service representatives or administrative staff), are the public face of the bank. They see dozens of customers every day, and their interactions greatly influence the bank's image. They must answer all questions, handle urgent matters, and sometimes even act as a confidant to regular customers. The teller is also an outlet for angry customers. Unable to reach a manager or branch head to vent their anger about high fees, long wait times due to understaffing, or delayed transfers, they take it out on the teller. "Once, a customer called me a dog because I refused an overdraft. I can't break the rules," laments one teller. That's why he prefers smaller branches where almost all the customers are known by name.
Not Raising Your Voice to an Angry Customer
There are many similar stories. Sometimes, arguments can escalate. In January, in France, a bank employee – a wealth management advisor – was stabbed to death by a client following an argument. While she wasn't a teller, her fate highlights the risks faced by front-office staff. Remaining calm, trying to persuade rather than impose a viewpoint, offering to see a supervisor instead of arguing back: when dealing with an angry customer, whether in a bank or a shop, these are the best approaches, advises a sales training instructor. In short, you have to take it, swallow your anger, and let the storm pass.
Trust: The Main Criterion for the Position
"Sometimes it's not easy to hold back, because there are customers who think they can do anything. Some protest when asked for ID, saying that having an account shouldn't mean they are treated differently, i.e., against internal procedures," protests a teller who feels the job isn't valued enough.
In fifteen years, he says he's never had a problem with a client. Nevertheless, there are days when he wants to quit. The stress is constant, especially since nobody is immune to making a costly mistake. That's why the position is given to experienced, trustworthy people. Newspaper job ads for this type of position are rare. Banks also avoid using specialized recruitment agencies. "It's all internal mobility. Banks are looking for trustworthy people," notes Ali Serhani, a consultant at Gesper Services. Selma Khairane, marketing manager at Manpower Morocco, agrees. "Banks prefer experienced people," she adds. Trust is the key word. You don't give the keys to the vault to just anyone. The story of an employee from a northern bank branch who gave clients fake deposit slips shows the potential for misconduct. When you handle millions of dirhams a day while earning barely more than 6,000 DH a month, the temptations are great. "Sometimes it's small amounts taken from the till to make ends meet or pay unexpected debts," confirms a branch manager, who points out that recent recommendations from the Moroccan Banking Professional Group are pushing for more control to avoid problems.
Despite the obvious difficulties, the teller position is essential for understanding how the bank works. And for marketing departments, the teller is an important source of market intelligence.
Training
A diploma equivalent to a bac+2, such as a BTS or DUT in commerce/management, is generally required. Extensive banking experience is always necessary.
Salary
Between 3,000 and 6,000 gross DH per month, excluding internal bonuses or those set by the collective agreement between the Interbank Trade Union and the GPBM. The salary scale according to grades, semi-annual bonuses, overtime, and various allowances are set by the same text.
Career Progression
Typical progression involves managing increasingly complex transactions and then becoming an administrative manager. It's also possible to become a branch manager or higher with further training.
Brahim Habriche
Published March 16, 2009
Posted online March 16, 2009
lavieeco.com
