One thing is certain -- the role of the customer service manager in the
banking industry is changing.
That's the view of Denise Butticci, a customer service manager at
a credit union. Her job used to involve a lot of administration. For example,
she scheduled staff and assigned them their duties. She hired staff and trained
them. She oversaw the day-to-day running of the branch. She got involved with
clients only when there was a problem or some other issue that she had to
solve.
She still does all these things, but these days, there is more emphasis
on sales. Every financial institution wants to offer more services and products
to customers. And this means managers have to adjust their focus to sales.
"Sales and service mean more time spent with staff, both when a question
comes up and before a question comes up," Butticci says.
For example, her credit union is now offering new services. There are professionals
in the branch who offer estate planning, life insurance and investments like
mutual funds. It's not up to the tellers to sell these services, but
they have to be able to suggest to the client that they may be interested
in these services. In other words, they have to be able to make a referral.
Who trains the tellers to make referrals? Managers, that's who.
"The training involves how to explore business opportunities," says Butticci.
She teaches the tellers a basic understanding of these other services. She
also teaches them everything from the right approach to the right words to
use.
No longer will tellers simply be order takers and do only the transactions
customers request. "They will be able to have a conversation with a customer
about their needs, and be able to offer advice on how to accomplish their
[financial] goals," explains Butticci.
Even the basic products and services that tellers work with are getting
more complicated.
"There's tons of variety and the product knowledge required is more
than it used to be. It's our responsibility to get the front-line staff
up to speed," she says.
Butticci has been in banking a long time. When she was 18, she got a job
as a teller, thanks to her friend's brother who worked there. "It was
very different then," she notes. That was over 20 years ago.
Young people who want to get into this field now need a degree, a good
handle on business administration and some specialized education in financial
planning. Of course, good computer knowledge is essential, she says. And,
they'll need to be sales-oriented.
This job requires certain skills. "This job is well suited to good time
managers. You always have way more work than time to do it. You have to be
a good people person, and you need to be highly organized and be able to juggle
a ton of things at once."
Butticci likes her work. And she enjoys the challenge that the changing
industry is giving her.
"I like the responsibility and making decisions on the fly," she says.
Roy Olsen is a customer service manager at a small bank in Oklahoma. Training
staff is a big part of his job.
"My people are very talented and motivated," says Olsen. He supervises
a staff of 14.
He knows a great staff is no accident. It takes lots of communication,
respect and careful direction. Olsen's goal is to get his message of
personal service across to the customers in the bank. This message goes through
his staff working directly with the customers. He likes to tell his employees
to look at every situation as an opportunity to win over a customer.
"If I can motivate my people to look at each customer as an opportunity
and get compliments on my people, it's very rewarding," says Olsen.
A good customer service manager has to be willing to delegate duties to
their employees. Otherwise they find themselves doing everyone else's
job.
"Getting work done through others is a fine line. It may seem faster to
do it yourself, but are you really doing yourself and the company right by
that?" says Olsen.
For example, if a teller and a customer were having problems, Olsen could
jump right in. Instead, he hangs back until he is needed. Jumping in and handling
every mess isn't what a customer service manager's job is all about.
Instead, Olsen prefers to guide his staff, showing them what's expected
and then expecting it from them. "A question will come up as to whether we
can accept such and such a withdrawal or a particular check. Usually, they
already know the answer, but they're just checking with me."
Beyond staff concerns, Olsen is also responsible for keeping customers
in today's competitive banking environment.
"More competition has caused us to look very hard at how we deal with customers
if we want to keep them." Olsen says this means really listening to the customer
and finding out what they want.
Working in a small bank makes it easier for Olsen to focus on customer
service. If Olsen doesn't know a particular customer, chances are one
of his employees does.
"A smaller customer base lets me know our customers better. Communicating
with my staff lets me know even more."
Knowing your customers and working with good people makes the difference
between success and failure for a customer service manager.
When it comes to hiring tellers, many customer service managers say there
are some traits that just stand out. Marge Fisher saw these traits in a student
she recently hired. "I really wanted to give a student with enthusiasm and
energy the opportunity to excel. And I wasn't disappointed."
The student turned out to be hard-working and had the communication skills
and willingness to learn quickly -- the trademarks of a valuable employee.
And after more than three decades in banking, Fisher knows potential.
"What I love about this job is the daily contact I have with my staff and
our clients. That much 'people contact' can be stressful, but it
can also be very rewarding. Not everyone can do this kind of work," Fisher
says.
Fisher has seen a lot of changes since she began working in banking straight
out of high school in 1963. "I've seen almost continuous change...in
technology, bank products and services, procedures and equipment, even in
banking philosophies.
"This is a great career area for anyone who likes change and diversity,"
she adds.
One of the biggest changes is the increasing educational demands for people
in her position. "Ten years ago it wasn't unusual for managers
to move up the ladder with only a high school education. It's still possible,
but a degree or a diploma can make the difference between you and another
equally skilled applicant getting the job."
Anyone aiming for a career as a customer service manager should be prepared
to go that extra mile. "If you have the people skills necessary to move ahead
in this area of banking, the other essential thing you need today is a degree."