Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Legends of the Bank Teller - Episode LI

I'd like to dedicate this legend to one specific customer.

This woman came to the drive-thru with her daughter in the passenger seat. I slid out the drawer, made with the normal chit-chat, and she informed me that her daughter was out of deposit tickets and would like to deposit her checks (8 of them) and that she had two checks to cash herself.

Really, we're supposed to have the customer fill out their own deposit tickets. Really, that's to protect us as tellers. Even if we make no mistakes in the transaction, what's the stop a crooked client from saying that they didn't make that deposit or they deposited a different amount. We're just not a very trusting society. But I did the deposit ticket for them anyway.

Then I got to the checks. Just as I was about to ask for the woman's ID, she's waving at me from outside. By the way, we have a buzzer that can be annoying, but it's a little more dignified than hanging out your car window trying to flag me down. She asks for some blank deposit slips for her daughter. I tell her that's fine, then I ask to see her ID.

She says no.

Really? That's you're response when someone who's never seen you before is cashing a check for you? Just, flat out, no. I turned to my co-worker and asked her if she recognized the needlessly angry woman at the window. She didn't recognize her, so I was ready to refuse to cash her checks (which were in fact written to her husband), but as I turned back, she was digging through her purse. She had given in and threw her ID in the drawer. But she was clearly upset.

Once I had her license, I was able to look up her account number and saw why she was upset. This woman had no less than six accounts, each with close to $100,000. So she had a lot of money. Obviously this came with a sense of entitlement and she shouldn't have to follow the same regulations that every other customer falls under.

To this rude woman, I say this: You're no more special than any other individual that comes to my window. I will treat you with the same respect I treat someone who isn't driving a Lexus SUV. The reason I ask to see your ID is for your protection. Identity theft is possibly the fastest growing crime in the country today. Thousands of people have their finances destroyed monthly because of ID theft. If I've never seen you before, I can't just cash your checks because you say you are who you are. I don't care if you think you have more money than God, news flash, you're not God. I have no idea who you are, I'm gonna need some proof.

Also, you're lucky I cashed your checks at all. They both had your husband's name on them. He may have endorsed them, but really, he should have been with you and shown me his ID as well. See how generous I am? So while you're living in your ivory tower, pretending to be better than everyone else just because you have so much money you don't know what to do with it all, just remember that next time you come to my window, I will ask to see your ID. I'm sure, thanks to this incident, I will totally remember who you are when I see you, but I'll still ask for your ID. Deal with it.

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