As soon as you enter a bank, the person you see behind the counter, smiling at you offering to collect the cheque or cash deposit or handing you the requested amount of money, is the Bank Teller. A bank teller takes on many responsibilities during the course of the day which include depositing money to the vault, keeping track of the money which is present in the vault of a bank and exchange foreign notes at a prescribed rate, etc. Being the face of the bank, it is the bank teller who handles customer relations and is therefore expected to have courteous, polite and amicable disposition at all times. Although a position as a bank teller does not require a degree in Astrophysics, a basic high school degree with a graduation or some clerical experience is a must to join a bank in this capacity. The major considerations among banks while hiring someone are of course credibility, responsibility, dependability and honesty. A bank teller handles large sums of money at any given time and therefore it is very important for them to be trustworthy and bankable. Look through the following section to find about the various roles and responsibilities that a bank teller’s position entails.
Bank Teller Responsibilities
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Assisting potential customers in opening new accounts.
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When a customer wants to deposit a desired amount of money in his/her bank account, it is the teller's duty to accept the money. The bank teller is also supposed to update the account of the customer stating that the sum deposited by the customer has been added to his/her account.
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When a customer walks into a bank to withdraw a required amount of money out of his/her account, it is the responsibility of the bank teller to dispense the exact amount and again, update the account of the customer.
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A withdrawal can also be made on behalf of another person, for example a joint holder’s account or other instances where certain routine-checks need to be made to ascertain the identity of the person who is withdrawing the money. This is done so as to ascertain that there is no fraud. The bank teller has to cross-check the signature of the person who is withdrawing the money as well as other details which establish the identity of the person.
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The bank teller has to keep a check on how much money is in the vaults of the bank. This duty can also be entrusted to the head teller or any higher officer in the bank depending upon their policies. This duty is to be performed in the morning, before the bank starts to check its cash reserves, and also once in the evening during closing hours.
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Accepting payment from outsiders on behalf of their customers is also one of the duties of a bank teller. To understand this concept better, read through the following example. Suppose, a college holds an account with the bank. In such a case, students are usually asked to deposit the fees directly into the bank instead of paying fees to the college each time and the college depositing the fees finally to the bank. Thus, the bank teller has to accept the fees from the students and transfer them into the college’s account on their behalf.
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A bank teller is also in charge of giving out foreign currency at the prescribed exchange rate. This means that he/she has to be well versed and updated with the latest exchange rates of the popular foreign currencies!
Apart from the simple responsibilities mentioned above, bank tellers may also be specializing in complex transactions such as collecting real estate loan payments, etc.
Although the job may look boring and monotonous on the outside, it is not easy as it requires you to maintain a friendly and level headed composure at all times. And therefore the honesty, integrity and patience of a bank teller are truly commendable!
