A Personal Banker's Risk and Opportunity

A personal banker must juggle new business opportunity while minimizing risk challenges. With a new paradigm of regulation and growing schemes of fraud along with high demand to cross-sell the customer, the new accounts desk presents a blurry line of both risk and opportunity.   A personal banker spends their day completing an entire menu of tasks such as onboarding new customers, changing addresses for existing customers while weaving through the maze of procedures, best practices, policies, disclosures, and product knowledge.

Some banks shy away from calling the personal banker a sales representative.   However many community banks take the position of Texas Bank & Trust, Longview, a $1.9 billion dollar community bank with 19 locations in east Texas.  Connie Milligan, Senior Vice President, Director of Human Resources explains her bank’s approach, “Our lobby representatives are expected to act as trusted advisors and identify what our customers need.   They assist in matching the right bank products with the right customer.  They are all cross-trained to assist as a teller when needed.  They achieve incentives based on a variety of criteria, including cross-selling.”

Milligan stated her bank hires those with a strong customer service mindset. When they find the right candidate they guide them on a course towards success.  They start down a learning path the bank has in place.  The new hire or an employee that moves into this position is expected to be basically up and running after 4-6 weeks.  A mentor provides intensive, position-targeted training on the various legal and key issues.  Then the employee is given a desk and charged to work independently relying on the mentor for guidance.

“No question the proper documentation and procedures present the greatest challenges in this position because of all the variations that come with complex, volatile new account issues”, said Milligan.

The personal banker is typically the go-to person for answering questions, ordering checks or replacing debit cards and must excel at friendliness.  Always on the lookout for potential fraud, personal bankers spend time evaluating every aspect of a transaction for risk while respecting a laundry list of regulations.  The master-level personal banker knows that scrutiny is required in every situation. 

 

Still learning,

Honey

www.interaction-training.com

Need an Attitude Adjustment? Go Pro!

Our attitude shapes our environment – it’s the difference, to use a cliché, of seeing the glass as half full or half empty.  Our outlook on life is the road map that guides the quality of our lives.  A simple way to look at attitude is this:  Attitude is the way we communicate how we’re feeling to other people. 

Positive, optimistic people exude a favorable attitude that draws like-minded people toward them. It’s just natural to want to be around people who have an uplifting influence, who don’t pepper most conversations with negative remarks. When we are pessimistic and continually expect life to be negative, we put up a barrier to other people.  And, the ones we attract are the grim reapers of the world.  Those with nothing kind to say and those that think things are bad and that things are only going to get worse.

Attitude is shaped in our mind, it’s the way we look at things, circumstances, people...it’s our perspective. We’re in control of our perspective so we are in control of our attitude. 

Life is very challenging and it is naïve to think we can be 100% positive 100% of the time. Excessive optimism can appear false and may, in fact, at times be inappropriate.  

When things are going well, it’s much easier to maintain a healthy outlook.  The challenge comes when something happens to test our positive perspective.  

The difference between a positive and negative person is the positive person knows that she or he will bounce back, that whatever the situation, they will not be bogged down in it forever.

 

Why is attitude so important to delivering customer service?

Customer service super stars know that managing their attitude helps ensure they have a stellar performance.  Super stars get on purpose and become committed to excelling at performing  (just like actors in a movie or a play).  They know their lines, they are dressed the part and are well-rehearsed.  Even when life hands them a hard knock they act the part they are expected to play.  In sports they call this "sometimes you have to play hurt". The game must go on .  

Another thing customer service professionals, like bank tellers, new account representatives, and call center agents have learned is this - act your way into a new attitude.  

• When you don't feel good, act like you do and you'll feel better.  
• If your heart aches because of a broken or troubled relationship, kick up your acting a notch and you'll feel better.
• The next time your are suffering with disappointment or disillusionment, change your focus to what you have to be grateful for and you'll better.   

What is the lesson in this?  Go pro.  Never forget that attitude is important to the quality of every aspect of your life.  The pros know that you have to focus on both your attitude and your performance.  If either one is in need of an adjustment, take full responsibility to change what you are thinking or what you are doing to get the results you are after.  When need be, adjust both!

Still learning,

Honey