Bank teller serves clients with smile<\/p>\n
By T. Sima Gunawan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): She spends a great deal of her time counting
\nother people's money.<\/p>\n
No wonder she does. She is a bank teller.<\/p>\n
\"In the beginning I was nervous. I was afraid I might not
\ncount the money correctly,\" Meli, 26, said.<\/p>\n
Now that she has been in her job at Bank International
\nIndonesia (BII) for over four years, she is used to it and \"Thank
\nGod I have never made a mistake when counting the money.\"<\/p>\n
Her prior experience as a cashier at the Golden Truly
\nDepartment Store was an advantage which helped her in dealing
\nwith money, even though working in a bank requires more skill and
\nforte.<\/p>\n
Meli graduated from high school in 1988, and had been working
\nfor the department store for two years when she overheard a
\nconversation her friends were having at work about job vacancies
\nat BII.<\/p>\n
\"What happened was that a customer told my friend that BII
\nneeded tellers and then she (my friend) told this to my other
\nfriend. Overhearing this, I asked them to repeat the news so I
\nsent in my application,\" Meli said.<\/p>\n
Eight months went by before she received an answer from the
\nbank. They invited her to take a series of test, including a
\npsychological test. Because she knew nothing about banking she
\nworried about failing, even though she has taken courses in
\ncomputer, accounting and secretarial works.<\/p>\n
Her heart somersaulted with joy when she knew she was
\naccepted. She started working for BII the day after being told
\nshe had passed.<\/p>\n
When asked what she did with her first month's salary,
\nshe said lightly \"I had to treat my cousins, with whom I live,
\nand my friends.\"<\/p>\n
It is an \"unwritten law\" that as the new employee she had to
\ntreat her colleagues when she received her first month's salary.<\/p>\n
Meli's parents live in Tanjung Karang, South Sumatra. In
\nJakarta she lives with her aunt and her family in Pasar Minggu,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"It's good that I don't have to rent a room. It means I can
\nsave some money every month,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Being a bank teller Meli meets different kinds of people,
\nincluding those who demand instant service no matter how busy she
\nis.<\/p>\n
Armed with a smile, she tells impatient customers, in a soft
\nvoice, to be patient and join the queue.<\/p>\n
Handling such people is not a problem for Meli.<\/p>\n
\"Be very, very kind to them and they will feel ashamed. Never
\nbe rude,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Most of the bank's client, however, are pleasant and friendly.<\/p>\n
Cakes<\/p>\n
Tetty, a customer service officer of the bank, said that there
\nare some customers who occasionally bring in cakes or other
\ngoodies for everyone in the office.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why. They are just nice people. I don't think
\nthere is something behind the gifts. They have nothing to do with
\nloan approvals or such like...,\" she said.<\/p>\n
What Meli likes best about her job is meeting people, because
\nshe enjoys interacting with people. However, there are times when
\nshe gets bored doing the same thing again and again, day in, day
\nout.<\/p>\n
\"I don't see any challenges in my job. It's monotonous. I know
\nexactly what I will be doing tomorrow,\" she complained.<\/p>\n
However, Meli understands that there are always good things
\nand bad things about any job. More important, she is fully aware
\nthat there are many more job seekers than there are job
\nopportunities.<\/p>\n
What about bank robberies? Does she worry about such things?<\/p>\n
Instead of showing anxiety, Meli laughed when asked whether
\nshe was afraid an armed robber might point a gun at her head.<\/p>\n
\"What? Oh, no..no.... I've never thought about that.\"<\/p>\n
Tetty said she did not worry about violence in the office,
\neither, given that security guards were always around.<\/p>\n
If she, or one of the other bank employees, needs to take
\nmoney from other BII offices or the central Bank Indonesia, they
\ncan ask for an armed police officer to come with them, said
\nTetty.<\/p>\n
\"If we are robbed, what else can we do but give up the money?
\nI won't play the hero while my life is in jeopardy...,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"But I hope nothing bad will happen to us.\"(sim)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bank-teller-serves-clients-with-smile-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }