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Customer Service Representatives - Financial Services - What They Do

Customer service representatives in financial institutions process customers' financial transactions and provide information on related banking products and services. They are employed by banks, trust companies, credit unions and similar financial institutions.

Job duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Process customer cash deposits and withdrawals, cheques, transfers, bills and credit card payments, money orders, certified cheques and other related banking transactions
  • Obtain and process information required for the provision of services, such as opening accounts and savings plans and purchasing bonds
  • Sell travellers' cheques, foreign currency and money orders
  • Answer enquiries and resolve problems or discrepancies concerning customers' accounts
  • Inform customers of available banking products and services to address their needs.

Job titles

  • foreign exchange teller - financial services
  • bank teller
  • credit union teller
  • financial customer service representative
Employment Requirements

This is what you typically need for the job.

  • Completion of secondary school is required.
  • A college diploma in business administration may be required.
  • On-the-job training is provided.

Essential Skills

Reading

  • Read memos about changes made to accounts. (1)
  • Read notes from supervisors containing specific instructions or information. (1)
  • Read bulletins about new products and services. (1)
  • Read promotional posters. (1)
  • Read bank circulars regarding fraud warnings or updates in procedures, policies and products. (2)
  • Read bank policy and procedures manuals. (3)
  • Read training manuals. (3)

Document use

  • Read signature-card labels which contain information about the customer and the type of account. (1)
  • Read bank books. (1)
  • Read and compare lists of rates associated with different bank services. (2)
  • Read lists of numeric codes. (2)
  • Read tables containing information about various financial products. (2)
  • Read investment and credit rate bulletins. (2)
  • Fill out night deposit slips and foreign exchange transaction summaries. (2)
  • Fill out withdrawal, deposit and rapid-transfer forms, debit and credit memos, stop-payment forms, deposit and withdrawal slips. (2)
  • Fill out forms to permit access to safety deposit boxes. (2)
  • Enter information in a time sheet or schedule to keep track of hours worked. (2)
  • Read and interpret graphs and charts in RRSP information packages. (3)
  • Fill out investment certificates and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) applications. (3)

Writing

  • Write reminder notes to themselves. (1)
  • Record details of discrepancies in customer accounts. (1)
  • Write explanations for client's stop payment requests. (2)
  • Write memos to the main branch requesting specific information about a customer's account. (2)
  • Complete statements for each type of service to customers and enter these into customer files. (2)

Numeracy

Money Math

  • Count, add and subtract money during banking transactions. (1)
  • Take in money from customers to deposit in accounts, pay bills or make investments. (1)
  • Withdraw money from customers' accounts at their request. (1)
  • Calculate foreign exchange conversions and service fees. (2)
  • Rent safety deposit boxes to senior citizens, prorating yearly fees and applying seniors' discounts. (3)

Scheduling, Budgeting & Accounting Math

  • Record financial transactions on computer systems. (1)
  • Record and balance all transactions at the end of the day. (2)
  • Make calculations to determine which type of account will be most suitable for a client's use, based on cost and convenience. (2)

Measurement and Calculation Math

  • Take counts for reports such as the number of cheques or bills processed. (1)

Numerical Estimation

  • Estimate the amount of money to order, ship or keep every day. (2)

Oral communication

  • Receive instructions or requests from customers and supervisors. (1)
  • Ask co-workers or supervisors for information or help. (1)
  • Answer customer questions. (1)
  • Greet customers, offer assistance and ask for additional information when required. (2)
  • Address customer complaints. (2)
  • Inform supervisors of unusual situations and problems. (2)
  • Discuss options with customers to help them select the type of account or service which fits their needs. (2)
  • Participate in meetings with supervisors and co-workers to discuss how best to provide service to customers. (2)

Thinking

Problem Solving

  • May find that the customer line-up is moving too slowly. They cut unnecessary conversation with the customers and refer complex matters to the service desk. (1)
  • May deal with irate customers who are not happy with the service or with bank procedure. They must discover the source of unhappiness and provide a remedy if possible. (2)
  • May find that payments have not been properly credited to a customer's account. They may have to undertake tracing procedures. (2)
  • May find that information is missing from a customer's account. They must check files and talk to co-workers to locate the missing documentation. (2)
  • May find that their cash does not balance at the end of the day. They must try to find the error. If an error is not found, they may have to reimburse the difference themselves. (3)

Decision Making

  • Decide whether or not to deposit a cheque to a customer's account with a 'hold' on the cheque. (2)
  • Decide whether to open an account for clients who do not have appropriate identification. (2)
  • Decide whether to cash a cheque for a client when it bears an unknown signature or a large value. (3)

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking information was not collected for this profile.

Job Task Planning and Organizing

Customer service representatives' in this unit group schedules are determined by the volume of people coming to the bank. While customer service takes priority, there are many duties that do not involve customers directly, such as keeping records updated. When there are no customers, the customer service representatives in this unit group do filing and record-keeping, tidy their work space or restock their wickets.

Significant Use of Memory

  • Remember details which police have provided about fraudulent bills.
  • Remember the names, faces and account information of regular customers.
  • Remember the multiple requests of clients who are making several transactions at once.
  • Remember banking rates and fees for various services.

Finding Information

  • Ask supervisors or co-workers for information which will help solve a problem with a transaction. (1)
  • Use bank policy and procedure manuals to find specific information. (2)
  • Contact different branches or the Help Centre to trace an account entry. (2)
  • Search through files, bankbooks, computer printouts and forms to get information on a customer's account. (2)

Digital technology

  • Use other computer applications. For example, they use special keying sequences to process transactions on customer accounts. (1)
  • They find information on customer names, addresses and account numbers in a database. (2)
  • They process and review transactions and update bankbooks. (2)

Other Essential Skills:

Working with Others

Customer service representatives in this unit group mainly work independently serving customers. They may share a wicket or computer with a partner and must co-ordinate activities with them. They work as a team with other bank staff to provide effective customer service.

Continuous Learning

Customer service representatives in this unit group may take courses in administration or attend workshops to update their skills in dealing with customers. They must also learn about new products, services and procedures.