Calling all Bank Tellers!

[lil'mommakaye]

I have an interview at a bank this morning as a teller. Im needing day hours and benefits so I have to make a move to something else quick! I am also starting my schooling again in the spring to finish my HHP degree which i am doing online durring the evenings.
They are offering 10$ and hour starting but i may try for 11 or 12 to make it worth it. I have been a bartender and server for years as well as preschool teaching. So I am used to making A LOT tending and not much at all teaching. But I had to work 2 jobs then. I am kinda nervous to make a switch..... I like being social and real busy. I hope it isnt a whole lot of sitting on my rear gaining weight
Did/Do you like your job?
I am also REALLY nervous about working back in the "corporate" world. I hate feeling like nothing but a number on a paycheck!
I hope this is the right move....
Please tell me about your job and the pros and cons of bank tellers!
I am so tore if this this the right move to make.

[l_Kimmie_l]

I am interested in hearing what everyone has to say too. I was thinking about getting a job in this feild once my fibro is under control.

[PailPowder]

I am a bank teller. Have been for 2 years now, and was one back in the late 90's too. I like my job....but I love math/money/numbers so that helps.
We can not sit. We stand all day. It's brutal on your feet. But if you're lucky enough to work for a bank that lets you sit then be happy...lol. Just walk around every so often. Banking has changed...it's a LOT of sales now. I have a "goal" every quarter. I need 23 referrals to hit my goal as a 30 hour a week employee. Checking accounts, money markets, credit cards, loans...they are all worth points. Credit cards/loans/lines of credit are worth 2 for me, everything else is worth 1. If I hit my goal, which I always do, I get a quarterly bonus which is nice. $10/hour seems low but that could be in line with the COLA in your area. I started at just over $12 and I live in an area where things are pretty expensive.
People can be really....intense...about their money. You will get some nasty customers if something is not right in their account. They will make you feel like you are personally responsible for whatever went wrong. And if your bank charges fees....well you will hear all about that too. It can be hard, but appease the customer and if it gets bad, get your manager.
Being responsible for that amount of cash can be stressful as well. If you're off at the end of the night, be prepared to stay late. Over a certain dollar amount, and you can not go home until it's found. For us it's $20. We have stayed as late as 2 hours past close for that, and in my bank, NO ONE leaves until it's found. So even if your money is perfect, you may be expected to stay and help find the other person's difference. Have a back up plan for your little ones if you need to be out by a certain time.
I think that's it. If you have anymore questions I can try to help, but every bank is so different with their accounts/fees and such that it's hard to be much more specific. Oh and if possible, get your Notary Public License. You may be able to get more money b/c you'll be more valuable. I have mine. The test wasn't too bad

[Only]

A close friend worked at a bank for years and loved her job.

[KelseyH]

I wasn't a teller, but I was a personal/business banker for Wachovia and Wells Fargo (when they bought out Wachovia). I loved my job - but I love customer service oriented things, and I excel at math and finances in particular. The only thing I had a personal conflict with is how much we had to push credit cards, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. I am a strong proponent of being debt free (I am a DR "follower"), so it was a bit of a (personal) struggle for me to reach the lending goals.
The PP who said it is a LOT of sales is right! The tellers at WF didn't have super difficult goals, though, so it shouldn't be a major concern for you. They were also allowed to sit on stools behind the counter at least in our branch. Stuff like that will not only vary from company to company, but branch to branch. One of our branches in a large metro area had to schedule bathroom breaks because they were so busy all day - at our small town branch, you just got up and went when you needed to. I WF does a very good job taking care of their employees, but of course your personal satisfaction is going to be dependent on the pace of your branch and your coworkers.

Good luck! Hope that helps.

[Rhianna'sMommy]

I was a bank teller 8 yrs ago for a couple years. I personally hated it. Like the pp poster said - it is a sales job anymore. You are expected to make sales (opening accounts, getting loans, that kind of thing) each month. They give you a goal and you need to get a certain percentage of your goal. When I was there if you didn't get that percentage 3 months in a row, you lost your job. I hated sales - I am not a sales person so it really grated at me to sell people on stuff that I didn't really think they needed.

At our bank, if you we're a teller for the lobby you had the option to sit. But if it was busy there wasn't much time for sitting. At the drive up there was no sitting. They are (obviously) really picky about your drawer being 100% accurate. If your drawer was off by more than $20 and you couldn't find it (we'd stay late to find money) you went on report and the next of***e in X number of days would result in you being fired. If you were off by $50 you lost your job that day.

If sales don't bother you if isn't a bad job. Most people are very nice and it is fun to chat with the regulars. Some people are very hard to work with but that is true of most jobs. At least at my bank, the manager or a banker was quick to step in if someone was getting too irate so the teller didn't get the brunt of it. The manager and bankers can make a huge difference in the flow of the bank. We had some awesome bankers that were awesome to work with but there were a couple that made life a bit miserable.

[lil'mommakaye]

The interview went really well! They had me fill out additional paperwork, so I guess that i promising. I hope its not too much sales stuff. I am also quite a saver and anti-debt so that would be a challange for me if it is the case. We will see I suppose!

[Only]

Originally Posted by lil'mommakaye The interview went really well! They had me fill out additional paperwork, so I guess that i promising. I hope its not too much sales stuff. I am also quite a saver and anti-debt so that would be a challange for me if it is the case. We will see I suppose!

That does sound promising!