This is a big issue at the branch I work for. I would say more than half of our customers do not know how to fill out a deposit slip. I have many customers who plop down their check on the counter and say I need this deposited into this account, this account, make a payment to my credit line, and I'll take some cash too. I hand them some deposit slips and they say can't you fill it out? Or they just plain ignore it and talk on their cellphone. I have tried to help people learn to fill it out..but they are always in a rush and fill it out their name only, handing it over to me to finish.

It's called customer service and unless management wants to cut down on this by charging for "in-house" transactions, there is really nothing to deter this practice.

I will admit, where I bank, I am one of those people, but for what I call a good reason.

The freaking withdrawal or deposit slip "requires": my name, my address, my city, state and zip, my social security number, my date of birth, my phone number, my account number and the like.

If I am making a transfer, double that because I need a slip for each side of the transaction. Or if I want to make a deposit into multiple accounts, double the work as well because the deposit slip does not allow mulitple deposit accounts.

And if I want to make a loan payment, here comes another slip asking for all the same info again, because for some reason, they are afraid I am presenting them with a bogus loan coupon.

I honestly am not sure if I had to go through so much work to open the initial account! Granted I have embraced the electronic side of banking, so I seldom ever have to step foot into the branch (unless of course they have made another mistake on my account!)

Like rclarey said, it is called customer service, and it was what you were hired to provide. The duty to help complete deposit tickets is part of that job.

bbsgrant, I'd bank somewhere else. There is no reason to fill out all of that information for a simple transaction!

As far as filling out the transaction slip, educate the customer as often as possible. If that doesn't work (some I do not believe know how to write), at least have them sign or initial the completed ticket. Remember, be kind to the customer - they are your paycheck and there is always an accommodating bank just down the road.

Lol... here is a clue... I used to bank with Bank One, before they were bought by a larger bank, and it now has a set of initials in it's name!

Honestly, their online services are superb, and that alone is the only reason I continue to bank with them.

I can recall this problem when I was a teller and for at least one of my regular customers the issue was his illiteracy. He could sign his name, but he could not read a word. After I asked him to complete some forms one day, he quietly, humbly, whispered his dilemma to me. I filled out the forms, told him what information I had included, accounted for every cent in his check and acted like he was perfectly normal. He came to my window every time he came into the branch after that.

Yes, it is about customer service. While some people are rude or lazy and treat tellers like servants, others simply need assistance.

BBS - I can complete a deposit slip with only the account number and the dollar amount completed. The teller verifies the account name and information when they look up the account number. I would never put my SSN on a check or deposit slip and would question the reason for it up to and including calling the branch manager over to discuss it.

I agree... they just moan when they see me now... I simply refuse to put on any more than the account numer, date, and my signature. I have gone round in circles with the individual they call Manager. Anyhoo, now I find it much easier to just simply use the ATM for my deposits.

I bank with the same bank that bbsgrant is talking about, and yes, there's a line on the deposit tickets for social security number, but I simply decline to fill that out. Nobody has ever even questioned me on it or failed to complete my transactions. Nobody has ever filled this in for me on the slip, either. I also don't fill out the address, city, state, and telephone numbers most times (takes too long and I don't have the patience and they already have all that info!). Nobody has ever complained and the teller has not filled out that info either. I print and sign my name and print my account number and Date of Birth and that's about it. IMHO that's more than enough, and seemingly that's more than enough for them to process it as I've been doing it for years without incident.

In terms of the customers at your window wanting the teller to prepare the slip rather than they do it, I agree with those above who've said that's just good customer service and part of your job. If you were extremely busy (i.e. had a line of customers waiting), I'd maybe say, "if you wouldn't mind stepping to the side and filling this out, then come back to the window when you're done" with a big smile and a thank you... see if that works. If you're not busy, however, I'd say that's your job to assist the customer and what you're being paid for.

Our internal audit firm just wrote us up for filling out customer deposit slip tickets. Their recommendation was for us to stop immediately. The risk is just too high!

I guess my question is this, if your teller system confirms account number/name of account and it matches the account number/name of account on the deposit slip, why would you need to have anything else filled in? And what is the risk of the bank filling in the deposit slip verses the customer?

If there is any type of cash-back, I insist the customer at least sign the slip. If it's only my teller's word against a customer saying they deposited a different amount, wrong amount, what have you, I want at least their acknowledgement that they wanted the cash back.

OK. One reason given is customer service. Another is to assist customers who, for whatever reason, aren't able to complete their deposit tickets. But for my money the rest of the problem is just like the kid who never learns how to tie his shoes because his parents or teachers always do it.

With one hand we're trying to get customers to adopt technology. With the other (could it be because tellers don't want to let go?), we're trying to keep them tied to our apron strings.

Most tellers in my CU come from a food service/mall/retail background and are very happy to be working in a financial institution...even if some of the members are needy or spoiled. Go read an online forum for waiters/waitresses. You'll be glad a deposit slip is all you have to worry about! :-}

One problem with filling out the deposit slip for the customer is that if an error is made, the customer will point to the FI and claim that the teller's error caused any loss. If the customer puts his/her own info on the slip, and that causes the $$ to be deposited into (for example) the wrong account, I don't want that to become the liability of my tellers!

As a teller, I am on both sides of the fence with this issue. There have been many times that the exact same thing that the original poster has mentioned has happened to me. However, might I make a few suggestions: (I don't think our bank has a 'policy' on whether or not we as tellers can fill out their slips, but I know we must always get a signature!)

1) Have you taken the time to teach your customer how to properly fill out a slip? It sounds like possibly it's the 'younger generation' you're having issue with. These could be first time account holders, with no idea what to do. Another good idea would be to have the personal bankers instruct new customers how to fill out a slip when they open accounts.

2) Take into consideration any mental or physical difficulties the customer may have. Dyslexia, illiteracy, or simply 'old age' may be factors. I have plenty of senior customers who shake when they are writing, and sometimes it's much easier for me to 'help' them fill out their slips. Additionally, are your slips difficult to read? Such as too much information needed (as stated above) or are the lines on the slip not visible? Maybe a reworking of your tickets is in order.

3) The customer is NOT always right. Someone standing in front of you talking on a cell phone 'too busy' to fill out their slips gets a 'too busy' look from me. If they are gabbing away, waiting for me to fill out their slips, they get a 'deer in headlights' look from me. If this deposit/withdrawal/transfer is that important to them, they can take a minute or two to fill out their complete their transaction.

4) Lastly, remember it's all about customer service. You don't know what the customers 'situation' is. Maybe their mind is on more important things, like a sick parent, etc. It won't kill you to fill out their slip. You sure like that paycheck, right? :0)

Best of luck!

Post deleted by Truffle Royale

Post deleted by Truffle Royale

I don't know about the rest of the fellow BOLer's but I do not appriciate comments like this one. Remember what your parents should have taught you, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Nor do I.

While I agree that it is good customer service to compelete the slips for the customer when need be, I also feel that these customer need to take responsibility and ownership of their own deposits! These are the same customers who are the first to complain if something is wrong. I feel it is their resp to complete their deposit slips properly, it is not my paycheck. As a bank customer myself, I prefer to complete my own slips, you never know. Of cource there are always exceptions to be made, but those are exceptions not the norm and then those slips are initialed. Talk ownership people. Yes, I am the teller but it is their deposit; fill it out. Our nank has signs requesting that slips be completed prior to entering the line. If we completed slips for every customer, the line would never end.

Wow.

Perhaps a career in banking is not for you.

I will say this though... it might be a deposit slip today, but if you have not figured this out yet, you will always be doing some work on behalf of your customer, whether it is a customer to your employer, or an internal customer/coworker. It's called service and teamwork. I am sure there have been several instances where your coworkers have assisted you by completeing something you either missed, or did not know what to do, whether they told you they did this or not.

If these are the true feelings you are harboring to your employer's customers, then you are doing your employer a disservice and thier customers a disservice. I would advise you to seek employment elsewhere, perhaps start your own business, so then you can dictate how your customers will be treated.

If I had an employee on my staff with your attitude towards customers and customer service, I would hope that you would not be on my staff much longer.

Well said BBS!

Wow, indeed. Rather harsh. After 20+ years on the job, I am glad you could clarify my role for me.

To clarify for you, I am a strong beliver in good customer service and I work hard to service my customers properly. My job is to assist customer for goodness sake!

It is unfair for those customers who are prepared to wait an unneccssary amount of time in line because someone else did not complete their forms. That is all. The slips are located in the lobby for a reason and my employer posted signs, not me. Educating customers does not equal poor customer service, IMO. If you need help to compelet slips, I am here for you. It is the attitude that the slips are there for the other guy to complete but not me that is rude. Having said that, I will fill out any slip for anyone at any time, with a smile. That is my job. Now please , help your tellers to help you. Their job is hard enough .

I have worked in medicine, retail, and am now in banking. One thing I have learned is that there will always be those customers who either need, want, or simply expect more service.

No matter what area you work in, there will just always be those people.

That being said, good customer service begins with the bank rep that opens the account for the customer. This person should make an effort to be sure that a new customer knows how to handle their account. Customer training is part of customer service. Your customers really don't want to feel stupid.

If, however, as a teller, you feel that having to help some of your customers more than others is an inconvenience to you, perhaps you should consider a work-from-home sort of job in which your dealings with other people will be very limited.

I know I am totally off point and this probably belongs in the Water Cooler room. I feel Anon's pain, and agree with the other posters, however, this reminds me of almost everyday at the grocery store:

Ya get in line (12 items or less) and there's a few customers in front of you. You finally get near the cashier, and the customer directly in front of you is checking out 23 items. The cashier says nothing, so you patiently wait..with a smile. S/he remains motionless, probably chatting on a cell phone or wrestling with 5 loud toddlers, until the cashier (or bag person if we are lucky to have one) completes the order. The cashier places the items into bags and the customer stands there like a lump on a log....doesn't make any effort to move things along by at least putting them in the cart. After the cashier finishes bagging and says "that will be $39.54" lo-and-behold out comes the purse/wallet and the customer then begins to write a check! Didn't ya know for the past 15 minutes we were all patiently waiting in line that you had to pay for it? Could you at least have it ready and partially complete? Oh you need to see an ID too? Ever written a check before?

Okay, rant over!

MarkB