Banking Teller Services vs. Customer Service

Bank teller positions are entry level.
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Bank teller positions are entry level.

Banks offer various career opportunities. From bank teller to branch manager, individuals interested in financial careers have several positions to consider. Bank tellers are familiar and comfortable handling money for their entire shifts. Customer service representatives, also known as personal bankers, work with clients opening new accounts as well as promoting all of the bank's services.

Essential Duties

The core duties of a bank teller and a customer service representative differ. Bank tellers are the first point of contact at a financial institution. They handle customers' deposits and withdrawals. Tellers also check that bank wires are in. Customer service agents dig a little deeper with clients and sell bank services. In addition to opening accounts, they close accounts and promote credit card opportunities.

Level of Responsibilities

Customer service representatives at banks have more official responsibilities than bank tellers. Their positions have more selling capacities than a teller. While a teller provides excellent customer service during transactions, a customer service representative does that as well, while trying to show clients why they should use more of the bank's services. These representatives search beyond the question that brought the client in and try sales techniques to make the bank successful.

Customer Interaction

Much of a bank teller's interaction with a customer takes place while standing. Customers typically walk in through a bank's front door to be greeted by a teller standing or sitting in individual, cubicle-like spaces. A customer's meeting with a customer service representative or personal banker takes place sitting at a desk. Bank tellers can also be behind a bulletproof partition, while customer service representatives typically don't have this barrier.

Educational Parameters

A customer service representative at a bank typically requires more education than a bank teller. Bank tellers likely have a high school diploma and receive training on the job. Those individuals in customer service usually need a bachelor's degree. A degree in a financial or economic discipline may be the most viable match for the job.

2016 Salary Information for Tellers

Tellers earned a median annual salary of $27,260 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, tellers earned a 25th percentile salary of $23,230, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $31,500, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 502,700 people were employed in the U.S. as tellers.

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