Job Responsibilities
My responsibilities at National City Bank, included opening the
branch office, processing night bags, buying and selling cash
between tellers, processing transactions through the teller
window, and serving as a back up customer service banker. First,
the branch must be opened. This is done by checking the
perimeter of the building for safety, opening the door, disarming
the alarm and setting a signal so that all other employees know
that the building is safe to enter. Our next order of business
is opening the vault. This is done with two people each having
one half of the combination. These two functions can take from
fifteen minutes to one half hour depending on circumstances.
After each teller has obtained her cash box and set up her
window, the night deposit vault is opened. This is also done
with two people each having one half of the combination. As the
night bags are removed from the vault, the bags are unlocked and
assigned to a teller. The teller then takes her bags and
proceeds to complete the deposit transactions. Night bags
usually consist of large sums of money and the teller must not
only count the cash, but also verify the amount with what the
customer has written on the deposit slip. If there is a
discrepancy, a customer service person must verify the amounts
while the teller is present. If it is determined that the amount
of cash is incorrect, a form is filled out to inform the customer
of the difference and signed by both the teller and customer
service person. When night bags are finished, tellers must count
and strap their cash and sell to the vault teller, and prepare
their window for the opening of business. We are allowed
approximately one hour for this process. Once the doors are
open, each teller is responsible for her cash drawer. At no time
should the teller leave her window without locking up both her
cash and her cash tickets. If at any time, a teller fails to
comply with this and management notices it, it could result in
termination. As a teller, my responsibilities include cashing
checks, processing deposits and withdrawals, allowing access to
safe deposit boxes and referring customers to customer service
personal when necessary. These transactions can take as little
as 5 minutes to over half an hour depending on the amount of the
cash and checks in the deposit. The teller must maintain an
excellent knowledge of Federal regulations regarding cash
transaction limits and availability of funds.
Within my responsibilities as a customer service person, I was
responsible for verifying cash when a teller had a discrepancy,
and assisting the tellers with balancing the branch. Also as a
customer service person, I opened checking and saving accounts,
IRA's, business accounts, safe deposit boxes and processed
loans. My responsibilities also included helping customers
resolve problems or complaints they may have. Opening the
personal accounts consists of using a computer program, which
when filled in properly, will result in the account being
accessible immediately. To open a personal account, the customer
must present both positive ID and Social Security number and sign
cards verifying their signature. The business accounts and IRA's
are a little more complicated, requiring proper legal
documentation, such as DBA (Doing Business As) papers, tax ID
numbers, etc. Many times as customer service representatives, we
were called on to help a customer balance their checkbook,
research lost payments, answer questions about bank policy, and
generally help them with any problems or questions they may have
regarding their banking relationship with our bank. Each
customer is unique and the time involved could vary greatly
depending again on the situation.
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Job Requirements
To hire in as an entry level teller, one need only to have
graduated High School and have a working knowledge of cash
handling. National City offers classes to increase your
knowledge and help you advance through out the corporation.
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Uppers
The best part of working in a local bank branch is the people. Over time, you
develop relationships with your customers and they with you. You witness people
at the beginning and the end of their lives. It is exciting to watch a child as
he opens his first savings account and then following him through his subsequent
banking experiences. There is also a certain amount of satisfaction taken when
you are able to help someone.
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Downers
The hardest part of being a branch banker is the lines. Many
times the lines can get quite long and people are not always
happy about standing in the long lines. You feel torn between
giving you current customer your undivided attention, and
finishing quickly so you can take the next customer.
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Lifestyle
Working as a branch banker for National City Bank is suitable for all
lifestyles, with casual business attire being the dress code. Most National City
Bank branches are open from 9am - 4pm Monday through Thursday with extended hours
on Friday and Saturday. This is a good entry position for anyone including
mothers and students. Rarely is a branch bank employee asked to travel, with the
exception of traveling to other branches for training.
During the holidays, and at special times during the year, the Branch manager
will treat the branch employees to a special lunch or dinner. National City Bank
also hosts many charitable events during the year that the employees are
encouraged to participate in.
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Compensation
Entry level teller jobs start around $9.00 per hour, wiht pay
increases yearly. A teller can accelerate her wage increases by
attending and passing several banking classes offered through
National City. The base pay for a Customer Service
Representative can start as low as $10.00 per hour and can also
be accelerated through classes. In addition to the base salary,
employees enjoy paid vacation, sick days, pension, and job
performance bonuses (based on your customer service).
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Advice to Jobseekers
My advice for someone looking to obtain a job in the banking
field would be to pay attention to detail. This job can be very
detailed and small mistakes could result in large problems for
both the customer and the bank. However, the banking field can
be very rewarding because you are able to help others with their
financial goals while obtaining your own.
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