Hey Junior Savers and Teen Banking Club Members! Buck here, and today I’m visiting YOUR bank!

Do you ever wonder what the bankers here do during the day? Or what the teller does after your grown-up talks to them? I got to go behind the counter with them today, and here is what I found out:

What does a Teller do?

The teller is usually the first person you speak to at a bank. They stand behind a counter in many banks, and you and your grown-up wait in line to talk to them or walk right up to them if there’s no one else there. Talking to bank customers is one of a teller's main jobs. They are responsible for making customers feel welcome, finding out what they need, and helping them.

Tellers can help you open a new bank account, withdraw from or deposit money into an account you already have, or turn a check you give them into $10 and $20 bills that you can use to buy things. That may sound like a magic trick, but it’s actually called “cashing a check,” and it happens at banks every day.

Tellers are responsible for handling a lot of the money that comes through the bank each day, and they have to count it up at closing, so a little math, attention to detail, and careful counting are good skills to have.

Did you know? Bank tellers see a lot of different types of money, not just United States currency. Part of their job is giving foreign money to customers in exchange for United States dollars, like when the customer is about to travel to another country.

What does a Banker do?

A banker’s job is similar to a teller's in some ways: they can help you open or close an account, but they usually don’t cash checks or stand behind the counter. If you have a problem with your account, though, you would talk to a banker to get it fixed. This is called customer service, and it’s a big part of a banker’s daily job.

If you or a grown-up are interested in getting a debit or credit card, a banker can help you sign up and show you how they work. If somehow the card is lost or stolen, bankers help protect the customer by canceling the card or making sure it can’t be used by someone else.

Bankers are also in charge of more complicated activities like wire transfers, which is a way for people to send money from one place to another without using a check or cash. Some bankers may even be able to help customers get small loans.

Did you know? Some bank branches have safe deposit boxes for storing valuables people want to keep safe. A banker is the one who takes people to the vault to access their boxes.

The main thing I noticed both tellers and bankers doing during my visit was talking to people. Everyone that walked into the bank needed help with something, and the bankers and tellers were happy to help them out. Not everyone that came in was happy (we all have grumpy days, right?), but the bankers and tellers still did their best to assist them, which had to be kind of hard.

Most of the time, though, the conversation was friendly, and they talked about more than just banking. A bank is part of the neighborhood it’s in, and the people that work there get to know the people that live in that community, kind of like friends do. One customer that came in even gave a plant she grew in her garden to her banker to thank them for all their help!

I had a great time learning about what tellers and bankers do at your bank. Now, next time you stop in with your grown-up, you’ll know a little more about what everyone that works there is doing.

Until next time!

~Buck

Interested in joining the Junior Savers or Teen Banking Club? Find out how and sign up for our newsletter here, or bring your grown-up to your nearest branch.