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With more and more people using online banking services, you may wonder what bank teller duties actually include, or what they actually do while performing their jobs. However, as popular and useful as online banking is, bank tellers still offer many important benefits and services on behalf of the bank.
What Bank Tellers Do
A bank teller’s job usually begins well before the bank opens its doors and ends hours after the bank has closed. In fact, much of the work a bank teller does - customers never see. Bank tellers show up early so that they can verify drawer and safe box counts - before beginning their day - as well as reviewing activities from the previous banking day. They also verify night deposits and deposits made over the weekend. Everything has to be counted, recounted, verified, signed off and then verified once again. Banks are pretty particular about making sure numbers related to money are accurate and verified many times.
Likewise, tellers stay late so that they can count, recount, verify - and have re-verified - banking activities for the day. They must count the money that they are responsible and match against any withdrawal request forms or checks that were cashed during the day. Tellers take their responsibilities very seriously and often spend additional time making sure the counts are accurate and correct.
Other Bank Teller Duties
Of course, a bank teller’s responsibilities are not limited to only counting and verifying deposits and withdrawals; bank tellers assist bank customers in many other ways as well: they assist new customers in opening new banking accounts and also help current customers in transacting everyday banking activities. Bank tellers accept deposits, cash checks, receive loan or credit card payments, answer balance inquiries and a host of other very important banking tasks. In fact, they even answer many questions regarding online banking services and the problems that can be associated therewith.
Bank tellers are the face of the bank, and the success or failure of a bank can be directly affected by the personality, competence and training of the bank's tellers. Many customers have closed accounts, or opened additional ones, based on their experiences with a particular teller. A friendly, efficient and knowledgeable bank teller can promote a bank in countless ways and further to improve the bank's local reputation and standing; likewise, a rude, unknowledgeable bank teller can damage the reputation of a bank in more ways than one.
With the Increased Popularity of Online Banking Services, Do We Still Need Bank Tellers?
Although online banking is indeed very convenient, and generally very secure, many customers still require the face-to-face assurance that only a bank teller can provide for them. The bank teller will actually count and verify a customer’s deposit amount - and even issue a signed deposit receipt. For many customers, sending their private and sensitive banking information through the unknown channels of cyberspace is simply not an option.
In conclusion, bank tellers don't really have a whole lot to do with the bank fees you're charged. Banks have been charging fees to customers since the concept of banking was developed; bank fees are designed to increase the profit of the bank - nothing else. Banks will charge you bank fees regardless of the fact that you choose to do all of your banking online versus entering the bank and transacting with a bank teller. They simply prefer it more: if you make your transactions over the Internet.
