This Teller Drives Me Crazy!

Ever said that?  If you are a customer who has had "issues" with a teller you might have said that.  If you are a manager of a branch in a bank or a credit union I know you've said that!  Maybe you are training a new teller and are pulling your hair out.  

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Essential Tellers Issues

Read on, here are some symptoms and treatments for tellers that drive you crazy.

The teller was trained and now acts like she wasn't.

At the risk of sounding defensive here are some things to ponder.  Tellers are expected to know an immense amount of information - some they use daily and some they seldom use.  Remember, tellers, like the rest of us, learn by doing.  Deliberately and in a supportive way have them practice process, procedures and decision making.

Create simulation exercises for ALL tellers to review monthly, if they are new have excercises for them weekly.  Simply put, copy transactions or make up mock transactions and have the teller review the items in the transaction and explain what they would do and why.  Make some of the transactions very routine, some very complicated.  Provide all the information the tellers needs to make a decision.  Account balance, account history, etc.

Include less cash deposit for a new account and temporary ID.

Include a check to be cashed that is made payable to a business.

Include an endorsement that is a simulated forgery and a copy of a legit driver's license.

I think you get the idea.  

I have a teller with a bad attitude.

Whoops...you have a teller with poor behavior.  Stay out of the attitude business and focus on behavior.  Learn to be very descriptive without judgment or exaggeration when positively confronting a teller about rudeness, indifference, laziness, gossip and the like.  State what you saw or heard, state what you want instead and call for agreement.  Brief, firm and to the point.  Document the conversation.  If you have to do this more than once, call for a corrective action plan the teller is to provide you with and give them 2 days to prepare it.  Review the plan they provide you, collaborate and work it out so you both are in agreement, document it and ask the teller to sign it.  Ask what you can do to best support the plan.  Follow up and follow through.

Don't delay addressing behavior that drives you crazy!  And, remember to review your own behavior every day and ask yourself "what did I do today that would drive someone crazy?"  If that wasn't your intention :), stop the behavior, apologize and be a role model for others.

Be the person you want others to be.  

Still learning,

Honey

On the Job is a Juggling Act

You know the challenges that come with juggling your time on the job!  Meetings here, there and everywhere, paperwork, phone calls, employees, customers, email…the list goes on and on.

Here’s a few time management tips that will help you to not drop the ball and decrease your stress level!

 ü  Everyday make a list of what is to be done

·         If you don’t know what you should be doing, how can you manage your time to get it done?

·         Plan for the unexpected

·         Some people like writing this list out by hand because it shows commitment to each item.

·         Others like software that helps to slice and dice their to-do list into manageable, relevant chunks.

·         What on the list needs to be done first?  Second, etc.?

·         Put a time estimate by each item

·         Do a reality check – where do you need to make adjustments?

ü  Retrieval is everything

·         Are you wasting time looking for items on your computer and your desk?

·         Organize a filing system and routinely file lower the stress of too much stuff not being where you can find it

·         Remember FDR  when you open a document on your computer or review paper on your desk

o   FILE or DISCARD or RESPOND

ü  One calendar – only one

·         More than one calendar in your life puts your reputation and your time at risk

·         Use a pencil if your one and only is a paper calendar

·         Key point – your to-do list is about what needs to get done, your calendar is about when it gets done

As a juggler learn how many balls you can keep in the air at one time.  Sometimes you have to say no or delegate.  Stay tuned on how to say no and how to delegate.

Still learning,

 Honey

How Do I Know This ID is for Real?

Identification Rationale
Requesting, examining, and recording the presenter’s identification is an important part of the check-cashing decision.  It is how you determine whether the presenter is the person he or she claims to be. Since it is difficult to recognize everyone who wants to cash a check, properly identifying them is critical.

Identification Six Point Validity Test

Determine the validity of customer identification using specific criteria.

Acceptable identification must:

      1.   Contain a photograph.

      2.   Describe the presenter.

      3.   Show a sample of the presenter's signature.

      4.   Include the birth date of the presenter.

      5.   Display a date of expiration.

      6.   Be recognizable as an official I.D. and contain a registration or identification number.

Commonly acceptable forms of identification may include:

• Valid Driver's License with a photograph                             
• Armed Forces issued  ID                                                        
• USA/Foreign Passport    
• Official state Issued ID with a photograph                           
•  INS issued Alien Registration Card
• Well-known employee I.D. cards that contain photograph
• Government/military identification cards

REMEMBER:  For the I.D. to be acceptable, it must pass the Six Point Test.

Why Training Can't Get Where it Needs to Go!

How did we ever get somewhere we hadn’t been before without Google Earth or a GPS?  Oh, I remember, we used a map -- those impossible to refold paper maps that had a scale so you could take a ruler and mark up your route and measure your distance.  Now that’s really dating me.  Even my plug in the cigarette lighter Garmin is old hat.  Today, my Smartphone acts as my guide, navigating me here and there.  I really like it when the navigator alerts me when there are tolls so I can be ready to fork over my quarters or dollars and pay the price to travel the best route.  

When it comes to training, set your sights on your destination, map out the route and pay the toll.  Clear a path for training to become a rock solid contributor to your culture, efficiencies and bottom line. 

 

Still learning,

Honey

Five Best Practices for Branch Managers

How do we get others to do what we want them to do?  As a branch manager your job requires you to set expectations for performance; communicate those expectations, and monitor and evaluate the performance. Try these five best practices to promote excellence at your branch. 

1. You engage your team in a discussion of the quality of the work to be done and the time needed to do it so that they have a chance to add their input.  Continuously, you make a constant effort to fit the job to the skills and the needs of the workers.
2. You or a worker you have designated shows or models the job so that the worker who is to perform the job can see exactly what is expected.  At the same time, the workers are continually asked for their input as to what they believe may be a better way.
3. You ask the workers to inspect or evaluate their own work for quality, with the understanding that you are willing to accept that they know a great deal about how to produce high-quality work and will therefore listen to what they say.
4. You act as a facilitator in that you show workers that you have done everything possible to provide your team with the best tools and workplace as well as a non-coercive, non-adversarial atmosphere in which to do the job.
5. You routinely provide 20 minute coaching sessions to every member on your team to encourage excellence and to allow the employee to share their findings about inspecting and evaluating their own work.

    Want your staff to meet, even exceed, expectations?  Put these best practices to work!

    Still learning, 

    Honey

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Cross-Selling and Customer Service - Perfect Match!

Cross-selling is not about being pushing. It is about building on the existing relationship you have with the customer. When you perform your job in a friendly, knowledgeable, efficient way, customers will be inclined to think of your institution first when a need for additional products or services surfaces. 

 

Are you aware that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell an additional product or service to an existing customer?  So it makes perfect sense to maximize and expand the relationship you with have with your existing customer. The road to that success is paved with cross-selling.  The branch is one of the best stops on that road!

The customer’s attitude toward their financial institution is highly influenced by two key factors—location and customer service.  That points directly to the branch and those that work there!

All branch personnel are encouraged to acquire the skills and “attitude” necessary to detect, and on occasion, create prime opportunities to cross-sell and refer customers to product specialists.

Who all benefits from cross-selling success at the branch? The answer is three-fold:

Customer:       Your customer wants all the convenience and satisfaction your company has to offer!  Never assume the customer magically knows what you have to offer that will enhance satisfaction and elevate convenience! As a dedicated quality service provider the teller must complete the job of taking good care of the customer by first seeking out what the customer may need and then matching that need with services available. 

Company:       Your employer expects a fair return on the dollars spent on state-of-the-art technology to offer competitive products and services.  No matter the size of your financial institution, investments have been made to create Internet visibility, stay as competitive as possible in product offerings, attract new customers and keep the ones they have. The ultimate intention of cross-selling is to bolster both customer satisfaction and profitability. Plus, the frontline is in a primary position to engage the customer and create a positive experience that reinforces the likelihood the financial institution will retain the customer.

Frontline:           Your reputation for excellence in your position rides on many things including product knowledge and customer focus.  Success at cross-selling and referrals will be dependent on your skills and attitude about taking exceptional care of the customer.

Cross-selling and referral-making are legitimate expectations of all frontline personnel. It takes the efforts of all financial institution personnel to grow the profitability of the institution, as well as working to maintain and grow the depositor relationship.  

Still learning,

Honey

More Cross-Selling Tips for Bankers

Prepare for Objections

When timing is good always find out what the customers objections, concerns or reservations are when you suggest a product or service.  Gentle probing will help you and your company in several ways:

When you know why the customer won’t buy you can share more information or clarify facts.

When customer’s resist or don’t perceive a product is valuable the company needs to be aware of how frequently that is happening.  It could be pricing or product features need to be adjusted.

Remember these tips when preparing for anticipated objections.

·         Don’t take "no" as an answer every time.  When it seems right, find out why a customer objects to a product or service.

Mrs. Lewis, tell me about your reservations.

·         Restate what they said and encourage more conversation

You just don’t feel comfortable paying bills online, tell me more about that.

·         Encourage the customer to share about their opinion, concerns or experience.

Tell me more about that.

·         Use the feel, felt, found formula:

I understand how you feel. Other customers have told me they felt that way. Let me share with you what they found out.

Put these tips to work for you as you develop the skills of effective cross-selling.  For more information on this topic, click here for free tools and articles in our web store.

Still learning,

Honey