Bank teller

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A teller in a branch of Bank Muamalat, Indonesia Bank Muamalat.JPG
A teller in a branch of Bank Muamalat, Indonesia

A bank teller (often abbreviated to simply teller) is an employee of a bank whose responsibilities include the handling of customer cash and negotiable instruments. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier or customer representative. [1] Tellers also deal with routine customer service at a branch.

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Responsibilities and duties of the bank teller

Being front-line staff they are most likely to detect and stop fraudulent transactions in order to prevent losses at a bank (counterfeit currency and cheques, identity theft, confidence tricks, etc.). The position also requires tellers to be friendly and interact with the customers, providing them with information about customers' accounts and bank services. Tellers typically work from a station, usually located on a teller line. Most stations have a teller system, which includes cash drawers, receipt validator/printers, proof work sorters, and paperwork used for completing bank transactions. These transactions include:

Prevalence and history

Tellers at machines at the Bowery Savings Bank, 34th St. and 5th Ave., New York City, in 1941 Bank tellers - 01.png
Tellers at machines at the Bowery Savings Bank, 34th St. and 5th Ave., New York City, in 1941

In the United States, tellers held approximately 608,000 jobs in 2006. Of these, approximately 25% were classified as part-time. Median annual earnings as of May 2006 were $22,140. [2]

The number of tellers in the United States increased from approximately 300,000 in 1970 to approximately 600,000 in 2010. A contributing factor may have been the introduction of automated teller machines. ATMs allow a branch to operate with fewer tellers, making it more economical for banks to open more branches, necessitating more tellers to staff those additional branches. Further automation and online banking, however, may reverse this increase resulting in a trend toward fewer bank teller positions. [3]

Public figures who were former bank tellers

Many well-known personalities have worked as bank tellers including:

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated teller machine</span> Electronic telecommunications device to perform financial transactions

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transaction account</span> Bank holding that clients can access on demand

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ATM card</span> Type of bank card providing access to Automatic Teller Machines

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branch (banking)</span>

A branch, banking center or financial center is a retail location where a bank, credit union, or other financial institution offers a wide array of face-to-face and automated services to its customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated cash handling</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sampath Bank</span> Sri Lankan commercial bank

Sampath Bank PLC is a licensed commercial bank incorporated in Sri Lanka in 1987 with 229 branches and 373 ATMs island-wide. It has won the "Bank of the Year" award by "The Banker" of Financial Times Limited – London, for the second consecutive year and the "National Business Excellence Awards 2010". It has become the third largest private sector bank in Sri Lanka with Rs. 453 billion in deposits as of 30 June 2016.

References

  1. "Scotiabank Jobs".
  2. "Tellers". Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Tess Townsend (May 8, 2017). "Eric Schmidt said ATMs led to more jobs for bank tellers. It's not that simple". Recode.
  4. "10 of the Most Famous Financial Advisors". Investopedia.
  5. "9 Boring Jobs Celebrities Had Before They Were Famous". www.jobs.net.