Good Banking Etiquette

We all know how it goes. You wait in line for five minutes to be greeted by a grumpy teller who is all business and obviously doesn't care if you're John or Account Number 239864, it's all the same to him/her. While spending all day punching buttons on a computer and counting money doesn't seem like a very high stress job, just like any job where you deal with the public non-stop all day long, it's often a stressful and thankless job. There are many simple things you can do as a customer to make those lines move faster, your transaction go smoother, and create a more pleasant transaction for both you and your teller.

1) Most importantly, be ready when you get to the teller.
The first part of being ready is having your transaction slip ready and your check written out if you're writing a check. If you know you're depositing your paycheck, fill out a deposit slip before you even get in line. If you know you're paying on your car loan with a check from another financial, write it out before you get in line. Try to figure out what you want to do BEFORE you're standing in front of the teller. It's fine if you need to know the balance of your account before you decide what exactly to do, but chances are, you know the basics. If you're depositing at least part of your paycheck, start a deposit slip. If you're withdrawing or transferring money, start a deposit slip. Even if it's something as basic as writing your name and account number on the slip and nothing else, this is such a time saver. Too many people walk or drive up to the teller and sit there going "Um, uh, I have this paycheck. Not really sure what I want to do with it...." and that is the biggest cause of lines. If you don't know what you want to do yet, don't get in line just HOPING you'll figure it out before it's your turn. And at the very least, have your transaction slip partly filled out so at least the teller can look you up while you're thinking.

2) Try to avoid talking on your cell phone while trying to do your banking
Nothing is more frustrating to a teller to be brushed off and ignored for a telephone conversation. You're the one who chose to come to the bank and do business, so if you absolutely MUST come to the bank at this time, don't act like the teller is being rude by talking to you while you're on the phone. You're the one who is being rude. It's very hard to ask simple basic questions about performing a transaction (such as "Did you want this into your checking or your savings?") while being sushed and ignored by someone who is on the phone. It's fine if you tell the person on the other end "Just wait a second" so you can talk to the teller and answer questions, but to totally ignore them is incredibly rude. We see that you're on the phone, we're not going to talk to you about the weather, but often times, there are perfectly legitimate questions that need to be asked during a transaction and being too busy talking on your cell phone really slows down and complicates this process.

3) Don't blame the teller because you overdrew your account
There are two big reasons that yelling at a teller because you spent more money than you had just doesn't make sense. First off, unless the teller was the reason you spent $23 at Barnes and Noble when you only had $7 in your account, it just doesn't make sense. Secondly, a lot of times when overdraws are caused by misunderstanding (like your insurance company taking money out of your account unexpectantly, not being aware of a hold placed on a deposit, etc), the fees associated with overdrawing can be refunded. Tellers and bank staff are going to be much more open to helping the customer that is calm and nice rather than the customer who is screaming, yelling, and blaming about something that isn't the bank's fault.

4) Use the services available to you
So many banks these days offer a huge array of free services. Everything from online access, bill pay, automated telephone balancing, overdraft protection, the list goes on and on. Many of these free services could prevent many common problems that customers run in to. Don't be mad that you just waited in line 15 minutes to just get a balance on your savings account when you could have checked it online at home for free or called a 1-800 number and gotten that same information from. If you're repeatedly overdrawing your account, sign up for overdraft protection. The ~ 20 cents a day in interest it charges is by far cheaper than the $20 - $40 fee attached to bouncing a check and having to deal with the mess that can create. Keeping an eye on your balances and what charges have come through will go a long ways towards your peace of mind and your account staying in the positive. If more people did this, the time standing in line would really be cut down. So many customers would like to have all the checks that have cleared in the last month read off to them or spend way too much time trying to figure out why their balance is what it is when this information is readily available through other sources. By all means, if you don't have access to the internet and your bank doesn't offer a phone service, you should still ask questions, but using what services you do have available to you is very helpful both to you and to the tellers and others waiting in line.

5) Either read the fine print or ask questions
I realize that the fine print on basically any item is long and boring and doesn't make for a good pleasure read. But so many problems could be avoided and questions answered if people actually bothered to read the fine print when they opened up a new account or started with a new service. If you can't bring yourself to read all that jargon, ask questions!!
Some good questions to ask include:
Is there a yearly fee for my credit card or check card?
Is there a monthly fee for my check card or credit card?
Is there a fee if I DON'T use my check card or credit card?
What is the limit to what I charge on my credit card or check card in a single day?
Are there any limits on how much i can take out of the ATM in a single day?
What day of the month is my overdraft protection payment due on?
Where is the best place to make a deposit after hours?
Are there any holds placed on deposits in the ATM?
Does this account have a minimum balance?

While many of these answers should be shared with you at the time of opening the account or service, but a lot of the time, there is just SO much information thrown at you during the process that it's hard to absorb it all. So even if you've had an account for a long time, it is always worth asking questions first instead of running into problems and then having to ask questions. Every day, I deal with people who ask "Why did I get a $10 inactivity fee on my check card?" and when I tell them it's because they haven't used it a single time in a year and there is a fee having it and not using it. They almost always get upset and ask "How was I supposed to know that?!!?" Well, it's in the information given to you when you receive the check card and is also a fine example of why you should ask questions "Hey, I really don't use my check card ever? Is there any fee for not using it or should I just close it?" Save yourself the money and headache beforehand by reading the information given to you.

6) Read the signs
It amazes me how many people ignore the posters and signs that greet them whenever they walk into the bank or go through the drive through. So much time and frustration could be saved if people would pay attention to the signs around them while they waited. If you're in drive up and you see a big sign that says "No large coin transactions in drive up," don't wait in line for five minutes and ask if you can have someone count your coin. If you walk in and see a sign that says "NO cash withdrawals without photo ID" don't just HOPE that the teller won't ask you for ID and say you had NO IDEA you'd need to bring ID to get money at the bank. Most signs and posters around a bank are very simple and to the point and quick to read. Look around your financial the next time you go in and I'll bet you'll see a few that would really save time if everyone bothered to read them and adhere to them.

7) Use basic manners
It amazes me that so many people who should "know better" act like little kids when it comes to the real world. If someone asks "How are you?," don't just stare at them. A polite reply is all that is needed, but just ignoring someone is rude. If you burp in someone's face, say "Excuse me." If you want to dig through your purse for twenty minutes at the end of the transaction, do it somewhere where you're not tying up the entire line. Don't budge in line - if you walk in and see a big line, don't try to stand at the opposite end of the room and try to "dive in" and get to the teller before the next person in line. It didn't work in kindergarten, it won't work now. Basic manners, "please" and "thank you, and all the old adages that your parents taught you still do have a role in today''s society. Every crabby teller you see is probably crabby because she has dealt with people ignoring her, burping in her face, sneezing all over her counter, and being yelled at for things beyond her control all day long. A simple "Have a great day!" can go a long way.

I know this sounds like a lot of rules and things to remember, but it's really not. It all comes down to being polite and considerate of others, being prepared, using the services available to you, including the documents provided with your services and the signs around the bank. If everyone were to follow these simple steps, the lines at the bank would be much shorter, transactions would go much smoother, the employees would be more pleasant, and the banking experience would be better for everyone involved!