When the doors of my financial center open there is no telling what is going to come walking through those doors – and that my friend is partially the thrill of my job!
I’m a firm believer in “simplicity is key”. It has been my experience working in the finance industry for over 10 years that answering questions with complicated bank jargon can create greater confusion and actually escalate to problem management.
My most memorable experience of this phenomenon occurring was when I was 21 years old having just started a new role as a Relationship Banker, you know those people that sit at the desks opposite the people handling the cash? Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we!
I was enthusiastic and excited to help my very first client! I was also just as nervous and terrified of making a mistake for fear that anything aside from a positive experience would warrant my immediate resignation.
The first client comes in and they have a fee on their account. I think to myself, “Okay Martwann, remember your training! You got this!”
I reviewed the clients transactions first, because that’s what most bankers do, we try and understand how the client got to where they are. There’s an old saying in banking that goes a little something like this, “a client’s transaction history tells a story”.
Bingo! I identified how the client received the overdraft charge! It was human error… a delay in transaction posting caused the client to believe they had more money in their account than they really had! So after I identified the issue I then started thinking of how to relay this to the client (activate sweat glands)!
Wanting to sound experienced, I crafted this awkward statement explaining the bank’s transaction posting policy and how they had misinterpreted the amount they had available int their account to spend – bad mistake!
Understandably, the client becomes upset wanting to have the fee refund. I explain that “such a request could not be completed due to human error” and that “nothing else could be done” – again, bad mistake!
The client looks me in my face and tells me “I am a disgrace” and “I should be ashamed of stealing money from people”.
The client left upset and in tears. At that moment I had felt that I could and should have done more for the client.
What this experience taught me was that I (1) had a lot to learn about problem management. (2) I also needed to find resources that could allow me to really make a difference in the lives of others.
Fast forward 10 years later and I’ve learned a lot since my first client experience. Ultimately, better resources came with working for a better bank! Take a look at the link below to see if your bank cuts the Forbes list of America’s Best and Worst Banks
FinanceMe 