As a teller/dreamer of bigger things, I have encountered some of the nicest and meanest people in my life. But I am sure that anyone in any retail “career” could tell tales of horror. What I didn't know when I started were all the reasons why tellers have to do the things they do and just how regulated finances are.
The eye in the sky is watching me just as much if not more so than you.
I think it is a fact that nearly 60% of bank robbers are caught. They just walk right up to the teller and the majority demand cash over the counter. But major bank losses are mostly inside jobs. That means the cameras are not just to see you, but us as well. I've heard stories about the teller who would just take a little out of her drawer at the end of a non-pay week to make it through the next week. Then, of course, there are the big ones that are caught and probably suspected even beforehand. But far more often are the small jobs.
My manager wants me to talk to you about opening a line of credit, not the weather.
So much is expected of tellers now. Back in the day, when tellers were running thousands of transactions daily, they were just expected to balance and accurately run transactions. Now, with online banking, ATMs, direct deposit, online bill pay, and Check 21 and check imaging, a teller may typically run a few hundred transactions. That means more downtime, which could be spent balancing. But that time is expected to be used to produce sales. Even during large transactions, difficult transactions, a teller is expected to chat about home equity rates. We don't do it to nag you. We do it so that we won't be nagged. But we do want to talk. Just whisper. Then they won't know we are being personable.
If I think you are suspicious, you probably are.
Anytime something out of the ordinary occurs with your account (large deposit, large withdrawal, overdrafts) red flags go up and reports are generated. You are on the list if you suddenly deposit that large check from your old Aunt Mary and you normally keep a balance of $100. Banks want to know where that money came from and why. Then, if it is legit, and a long hold may be placed to find out if it is a legitimate transaction, the bank wants you to move it to a non-liquid account. Checking accounts don't make the bank money.
Cashier's Checks and Money Orders are the most likely to be fraudulent, and they set off more red flags if you want to buy one.
Everyday I receive alerts about the bogus checks that are floating around the area. About 80% of the time, they are what appear to be money orders and cashier's checks. This is why the bank still considers these negotiable instruments to be checks. Because, well, they are. Postal Money Orders seem to be the big ones. The bank that I work for won't even allow tellers to cash out Postal Money Orders anymore. They must be deposited.
Also, when you purchase any negotiable instrument, there are very strict guidelines that must be followed. Believe it or not, tellers did not make up these guidelines. They came with the U.S.A Patriot Act.
If you use cash, too much cash, or money from a recent deposit, everything is scrutinized. The general idea is to track funding of illegal activities. And it makes sense. But a few of my customers have issues with having to make a deposit of cash in order to produce a paper trail for their money order purchase. Many times, they are buying a present for a spouse that shares the account. Or perhaps I am too naive.
I want you to fill out your own deposit ticket to protect myself, not because I hate you and know that you have trouble seeing the tiny boxes and I like to see you squint.
I have been burned on thus one. I had a customer who didn't have any deposit ticket filled out and asked to deposit into her savings account. Because there was a long line, I filled out the ticket. Later in the week, she called the branch to complain that I deposited the check into the wrong account. She claimed that she had wanted the funds deposited to her checking account and that because I was so incapable of taking direction, I caused her checking account to become overdrawn. All the while, I thought I was being nice. Super nice, really.
And the best part is… my handwriting was on the deposit ticket; so I was blamed and she was credited back her fees. Lesson learned, never again.
