Pompous bank drive thru SC (long)

[Zipporah]

I had only a handful of SCs when I worked at a bank, but this one man annoyed me for some reason. Because I worked with confidential information, I'll make this as general as possible.

An older man (over 55, close to 60) wanted to deposit a check and make the funds immediately available (like depositing cash). I'm sure that other banks work differently, but if you have a check from Bank A, you can deposit it into another Bank A account on the same business day. The money will be available for immediate withdrawal. However, making a check available is a two-step process that involves cashing the check and then depositing the funds right after you do so. No money leaves your drawer.

Anyway, this guy didn't tell me that he wanted this done. He filled out the deposit slip incorrectly and listed the check on the "cash/currency" line at the top. I guess he assumed that I would make the check "available". I wasn't paying attention and I processed it as a regular deposit.

He wasn't loud or obnoxious, but he was subtly rude and quite condescending. He said:

"Wasn't it self-explanatory?"

"What should I do so this doesn't happen again"

and...

"Whose fault was this?"

I would call this "beating around the bush". He was playing mind games with me because of a simple error. It's something that can be fixed in an instant, but he didn't realize that I wasn't a mind-reader. Now, if I was more experienced as a teller, I might have noticed what he wanted to do just by looking at the slip. However, he didn't say anything and filled out the slip incorrectly to top it off!

This guy was my first true SC and his passive-aggressive style of dealing with people annoyed me. He had a superiority complex.

I apologized for the mistake and explained why I didn't immediately know what he wanted. I went into detail, but that probably bored or annoyed him. He ended up shaking his head and driving away when I was done explaining why I didn't make the check available right away and how the transaction wasn't self-explanatory or obvious.

I'm sorry, but even if that guy spoke in a civil tone, that was a self-righteous jerkoff if I ever saw one.

[myswtghst]

Those people almost piss me off more - the ones who act all self-righteous and like they're being a good guy by pointing out mistakes.

I'd almost rather have you yell at me (partly because it means I can be somewhat firm back, or even hang up on you!) because then at least you're getting it out, and not acting like you're "better" than me.

[Peppergirl]

Those people almost piss me off more - the ones who act all self-righteous and like they're being a good guy by pointing out mistakes.

I'd almost rather have you yell at me (partly because it means I can be somewhat firm back, or even hang up on you!) because then at least you're getting it out, and not acting like you're "better" than me.

Ohhhhh! Word to that! I'd rather deal with a shrieking howler-monkey of an SC than the one that she described.

Those kind always tend to catch me off guard at first, sounding polite, then to my horror, realization dawns.

And the worst part is: I've been doing this almost 20 years and I **still** don't know how to handle them. I can handle a screamer, a crybaby, a cusser, a whiner, ALL the SC's except for these. My brain just FREEZES.

[Boozy]

"Whose fault was this?"

I hear this being said in the same tone my mother might have used for "Now what have we learned?"

That would have got my blood boiling. I think I'd prefer someone to yell at me, because then they can't walk away feeling smug like this self-righteous bastard.

[chainedbarista]

after his 'helpful' manner, i would have offered a bit of 'help' of my own, including a reminder that if you want something, you must state so, rather than foolishly assume that everyone automatically knows what you want.

if we were all mind readers, we wouldn't be dealing with these idiots, after all.

[Dips]

The patronizing idiots are the worst. They know exactly how to push your buttons and you can never think of any clever comebacks until it's too late.

Over a year later I still feel bad for letting this guy get to me.

Thank goodness for this site.

[Sheldonrs]

I used to work at a school book store when i was at Rutgers Univ. The manager was really cool about us not letting cutomers pull crap with us.
One guy came in and just started treating me and the other person working the registers with me like dirt. He actually told us that he was so much luckier than us because he didn't have to work while going to school since Dad is paying for everything. I just looked at him and asked "Do you know what the only thing that separates you from me right now?" He asked "What's that?" in a condescending tone. I said "This counter. And if you want to keep it that way, you'll shut the fuck up and pay for your books and get out." He did.

[PepperElf]

"Whose fault was this?"

"The blame is equal. You for not filling your paperwork to reflect what you wanted done with your money. Me, for not reading your mind on the matter."

if you can get away with that. Sometimes I find that using a similar voice back isn't what they expect.

[Shards]

"Whose fault was this?"

"Well, sir, we have a fairly simple procedure for how these slips are to be filled out, as is written out in letters so large that my blind grandmother could see them both on the envelope you put the slip in and the slip itself. Therefore, it is your own fault for not bothering to read. Now I'm happy to fix this for you, but eventually, you'll deal with someone who won't be, so I suggest that if you can read, you make a habit of it, and if you can't you go find your inbred son's kindergarten teacher to give you some lessons. I'm sure if it only took her seven years to teach him you'll do fine. Have a great day, and please don't come back until my shift is over."

[Zipporah]

Haha! I actually said "it's both of our faults" when he asked me whose fault it was. He probably got annoyed when I said that, so maybe I shouldn't have. I then explained what happened and apologized for overlooking that part of the deposit slip.

For some reason, that guy never came in very often (that was a good thing). However, other people told me that he had been rude to them too. He told one CSR "I don't trust you" and another one that "you don't know what you're talking about" when they had to look up information about IRAs instead of already knowing about them.

In short, he was consistently condescending and rude to everyone at the bank for no reason. I think that he expected everyone to know everything about the world of business like he apparently did.

[Shards]

My mother's like that, *grumble grumble*. Some people, I find it's more common the more education a person has, need to know textbooks worth of material to be able to do their jobs anywhere near correct. Therefore, these same people find it inconceivable that someone could be good at a job because of being competent at performing actions, and not simply by being a walking textbook. Then again, that might just be my cynical view of formalized education talking, but, ah well, who knows?

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

Shards, in regard to formal college education & how 'competent' that makes you? After four years, I can parse that poem like nobody's business. You want me to tell you what that plant is, what growing conditions it prefers, etc? Um, ask that guy who's worked in the garden center for the past year.

[Sliceanddice]

"Whose fault was this?"

Well it could be god, for not giveing us all psychic powers so i could read your mind and see what you REALLY wanted, It could be the company for not making deposit slips in 30 font! with nice big lines and little faeries to to guide you through them or maybe just made it might be the person who filled out the deposit slip

[Shards]

Shards, in regard to formal college education & how 'competent' that makes you? After four years, I can parse that poem like nobody's business. You want me to tell you what that plant is, what growing conditions it prefers, etc? Um, ask that guy who's worked in the garden center for the past year.

That's exactly what I'm saying. Look, I live with two people who have very high levels of academic history, and they are unable to grasp the concept that experience might just trump education in some fields. Then again, I may be comming from a weird place, here.