Customer: I got a message that something’s gonna happen to my account if I don’t do something by November.

Me: (alarmed) What did it say you have to do? What’s going to happen?

Customer: Well I’m not sure.

Me: Well what did it say?

Customer: I don’t know.

Me: Who sent it???

Customer: I don’t remember. I deleted it.

Me: headdesk

I’ve been working at a branch for nearly 3 years and I just dgaf anymore. Customers just ramble on and say X Y and Z and it’s all annoying. They can’t write checks correctly, they don’t want to learn convenient ways to bank, and majority have main character syndrome. Maybe I’m just burnt out and wanna vent to y’all who could possibly understand. Everything is just a get them to meet with a banker, sell a CC, have them open an acct, and what not.

Do y’all feel burnt out or just done with banking?

What's the training process like for your new tellers, loan officers, etc.? What kind of ongoing training does your institution require or offer? For people new to banking, there's so much you need to learn.

this was a really stupid reason to almost lose my mind but i literally just can’t sometimes, i need out of this job.

was helping someone reset their olb password via the mobile app. he was probably 26 ish. i show him how to press forgot password. enter full SSN and account number, then it takes u to a page to type in a new password and re confirm it. thats it.

he keeps typing in a previous password. u can’t use the previous 5 passwords. i’m like yo, just make up something new. write it down.

he keeps typing in something to bring up the alert “cant be the same as previous 5 passwords”

he’s like why isn’t it working? i’m like ????????? bro

i say just make up something new. i shit u not we go back and forth like 10 times. i legit ask him “dude are u rage baiting me right now?

i tell him to make it today’s date. just make the password October26!@

he’s like why? i’m like bro. are u fr????

mind u i was on the teller line, it was slow so thats why i decided to help him. at this point the line was backing up and i told him i had to continue helping people. he then left. still not able to log in. jesus christ

I’m a recent college graduate with a BA in Slavic Studies from an Ivy League university. I have no Econ-related coursework, no internships, nor any work experience related to banking, nor any business-related career.

So, I have been studying to take the SIE moving towards the retail banking industry. I hope that some experience in retail banking could make me go into corporate or finance if I end up hating it.

However, I’ve heard a lot of horrible personal experiences people have had with retail banking and honestly makes me scared thinking if I’ll regret that path in the future; however, I’ve had no luck securing other job roles in corporate banking, so better something than nothing because time is passing. I’m still going to take the SIE regardless because I paid for it, and it’s too late to cancel.

Any thoughts and advice would be super helpful. Thank you!

I wanted to share the toxic experiences I endured while working at CSB Bank.

I worked for 2.5 years at CSB Bank's back office—the Central Processing Centre (CPC)—located in Kochi, Kerala. The CPC handles multiple departments such as Account Opening, ATM, Vehicle Loans, CRF, and others. I was part of the Account Opening team. Our operational hierarchy was coordinated remotely from Chennai: our Team Leader (L1) was Balaji, and the Department Head (L2) was Karthik.

Working under Balaji was the worst professional experience of my life. He constantly micromanaged me, calling every five minutes to check if tasks were completed. On top of that, the working hours were brutal—running from 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM nearly every day.

Initially, I thought escalating the issue to Karthik (the Department Head) would resolve matters. Instead, I soon realized that Karthik was actively encouraging this micromanagement. Following a phone argument with Balaji—which ended with him threatening me, saying, "I'll show you"—he arranged a conference call the next day with Karthik. During that call, Karthik took the TL's side, shouted at me, refused to hear my perspective, and issued a formal warning before hanging up.

The following week, Karthik visited the Kochi office. He called me into a cabin and began shouting at me without justification. He had come prepared with a notebook where he had fabricated petty complaints, claiming I was taking one-hour lunch breaks and one-hour tea breaks. There was zero work-life balance; our lives revolved entirely around the 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM shift. When I pushed back and questioned the unreasonable working hours, Karthik blunt-blank told me, "If you can't handle it, just resign." I refused to back down and voiced all my concerns openly.

The very next day, I was abruptly transferred to another department. Karthik went out of his way to poison my reputation with both my new department head and the Kochi CPC Head. Shortly after, I was placed on a 30-minute conference call with the Account Opening Head and the CPC Head, during which I was verbally abused. The next day, the verbal abuse continued—this time laced with foul language.

Following this, I was repeatedly summoned to the Kochi CPC Head’s cabin, where I was pressured every single time to tender my resignation. Exhausted and mentally drained, I finally gave in and resigned.

This toxic culture is not isolated to my case; it affects many employees across the organization, and female colleagues are not spared from this mistreatment either. While resigning may limit my legal avenues, I am sharing this so people are aware of what truly happens behind the scenes at this back office.

It's just bankers calling customers out on being stupid without having to be professional.

I love it. I love it so much it's better than crack. I love it.

Hey guys!

I did an auto loan today where one guy was selling his car to another. The guy buying it was getting financing through our bank and came in to finalize the paperwork. When we were wrapping up, the customer handed my manager the title to the car but something didn’t feel right (I had done a private sale auto loan before and remember not taking the title). Wanting to double check, I called the back office and they confirmed that the seller needs to sign over the title to the buyer and then take the title to the DMV. What is the policy at your financial institution?

Working in a back-office role for the bank, I’m constantly told by family and friends that my days are numbered, that my job is the kind of job that AI will come for first. But when I see the amount of outsourcing CIBC does to Guatemala and Philippines, I’d predict I’d sooner lose my job because of that — not AI.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not totally dismissing AI’s upcoming impact, but CIBC’s (and maybe all banks?) systems and processes are so siloed and so anchored in ancient technology (green screen anyone??), I can’t imagine AI having any big impact in the next few years. Combine that with banks being so risk-averse and the regulatory requirements that would need to be reconciled with any big AI changes, I can’t help but feel that mass AI induced layoffs are nowhere on the horizon.

Thoughts?

A man and his grandmother come in during an ultra busy day where we were having lines to the door, because we are the only bank open on weekends. We have two tellers, my coworker and I, who are trying to help people as quickly as possible so the line doesn't go out the door. A merchant runner comes in to make 14 deposits and get change and goes to my coworker. I'm going through the line when this man and grandmother come in.

They say they're here to cash a check and deposit change. The man then puts the completely filled gallon bag of pennies onto the counter, well it's pennies and a few nickles and quarters that I could see but a majority of it was pennies. My branch has rules that we don't take unrolled coin and we don't count it out anymore (and we no longer have a coin counter machine because the repair costs weren't worth it according to those farther up from us on the corporate ladder), but we do give clients a counter to stack the coins in and we offer roll papers and we basically tell them to sit in the lobby and come back in line and we can deposit them then. This policy was apparently implemented due to people repeatedly coming in with those three gallon water jugs full of loose change and expecting us to count it out in front of them.

I tell the man "I'm sorry we don't count unrolled coins, let me get you a counter" and he says "OH, okay, fine, I can tell you don't want to HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS THEN!"

I go "okay! Do you still want to cash the check?"

And his grandmother says yes, so I go through the process while the guy is loudly saying "See grandma this is why we should go to ABC Credit Union and close your account here".

While I'm counting out the cash for them, the guy notices my coworker is counting out change and goes "why is SHE counting change then?"

I tell them that occasional exceptions happen, such as if a roll splits (which I find out is actually exactly what happened when she was handing over the change order, some of the rolls opened). He loudly again says they should close his grandma's account here and go to ABC Credit Union. I ask if they came to close her account, he looked at me like he was surprised I was actually responding to it and went "no, no we're not closing her account here."

Once this lady got her cash they left together, and the guy for some reason pushes past the merchant runner to yell at my coworker for counting coins, then he and his grandma leave.

Meanwhile, the line had gotten past the door.

I am currently a relationship banker at a branch in a HCOL city at a main big bank. I was offered Private Client Banker position at another big bank. I would take that job over my current one but the only issue is that it is a bit of a commute, so if I could get a similar PCB job at the same bank I am at now I would prefer it. They would pay around the same. How do you suggest I go about asking for it? Who should I speak to first.

It is worth noting I have less than a year in my current role.

Hey everyone! I’m planning to get a few licenses on my own and have some questions. For those who work at Wells Fargo or Chase, which providers do they use for Life Insurance and Series 6 exam prep—Kaplan, Achievable, or STC? Also, how many exam attempts do they typically allow?

Additionally, does the time allotted to obtain the licenses vary depending on how many you’re pursuing? For example, is there a difference if I have both the SIE and 63 compared to just the SIE?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

I completed an interview at Chase with a recruiter at 10am on Friday and with the branch manager same day at 2pm. She called me on Wednesday to schedule an interview. I think the interview went well and it felt like a natural convo. I focused on my sales goals at Citi (my current employer) and customer service.
What’s the next step after this?

I’m looking for some advice from people who have navigated career moves within banking.

I’ve been with a large corporate bank for about three years. This is my first banking role, having previously worked in beverage sales and distribution. I’ve really enjoyed the transition into banking, especially the flexibility, relationship building, and opportunities for career growth.

I’ve built quite a few connections within the bank, and my current manager has been a huge advocate for helping me advance into whatever direction I want to go.

The frustrating part is that I’ve applied for several internal positions, and despite having good connections and support, nothing has materialized. Some positions seemed to have a preferred candidate already, and I’m currently over three months into the hiring process for a commercial banking position with very little movement.

Meanwhile, I’m finally starting to see the results of the networking I’ve been doing in my current role. I’ve spent considerable time building relationships with business owners and centers of influence (COIs), and those relationships are starting to produce opportunities. It feels like I’m reaching a point where my hard work is paying off.

Here’s where things get complicated.

My girlfriend lives about an hour away, and we’re getting serious about our future together. Relocating closer to her is becoming a priority.

I have an interview tomorrow with a credit union in her area. The position sounds very similar to what I’m doing now, and the compensation could be comparable. The biggest negative I’ve identified so far is a six-year 401(k) vesting schedule, which seems pretty steep.

However, yesterday a market leader at my current bank proactively reached out to me about a potential affluent wealth banking position that may be opening in the same area. We’ve spoken previously about my interest in wealth management, and he remembered that conversation. He also asked whether I was still interested in relocating.

The catch is that there’s no timeline for the position to open. The role would require my SIE and Series 63, which I’m currently studying for, followed by firm sponsorship for the Series 6.
I feel like I’m at a crossroads. I genuinely enjoy working for my current bank, have built a strong internal network, and see a lot of potential for long-term growth. But I’ve also spent months pursuing opportunities that haven’t materialized.

The credit union could offer a relatively straightforward move closer to my girlfriend while maintaining similar compensation and responsibilities. On the other hand, the wealth position could open an entirely different career path within an organization where I’ve already established myself.

For those who have been in similar situations, would you take a comparable position at another institution to make the relocation happen, or hold out for a potentially better long-term opportunity that doesn’t have a guaranteed opening?
I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who has transitioned from business banking into affluent or wealth banking, or from a large national bank to a credit union.

Edit: I didn’t mention I have a BM from JpMorgan wanting me over there too when a role opens up. I think my fear is losing an opportunity that can get me here quicker. True FOMO.

Your account notes are more important than you know! We don’t talk to the members (I used to work in branches so I know it’s hard), so anything you receive from them aides our work immensely! We appreciate it when the notes are in depth and when you report any suspicious activity. So thank you for all you do 🫶

At my bank whatever we can’t resolve in the branch we’re told to submit a complaint. “We will escalate this and a team will look into it.” “We will submit a complaint and they will reach out to you.” Most of the time it’s the angry ass customers that get mad for no reason. So what do employees that work in that department do? Do you hate your job? Because I sure as hell hate dealing with all the angry people. Do you just use AI to write a response to basically tell the customers they’re wrong af and to stop bitching?

Customer calls says, I’ve decided that I don’t like the quality of what I bought at XYZ store with my debit card. I want you to stop my payment to that company… ummm… we are unfortunately unable to do that. I don’t understand, I don’t want you to pay for this out my account.. (explain dispute process) customer, “so it still is going to come out of my account, I don’t want that so, cancel it.. I try again, give them an example.. let’s say you have a business, I come in but 1k worth of stuff, take it home, call my bank and say don’t pay it… that would cause chaos. Customer says, that is why this bank is a pos, you work for me! Do what I say! UGH!

i saw today that a quality assurance specialist position was open. it’s hybrid and they opened an operations center 5 minutes from my house. i really want the position

i’m currently a universal banker making $20/hr in texas. the pay wasn’t in the job description, so what can i expect for pay at a community bank in texas? or what should i ask for? i searched that the average hourly is between $24-$40, but i don’t have experience besides new accounts and fixing exceptions from QA

It’s that time of the year. Share your experience in the ever-changing banking climate. AI, work pressures, job security.

Before I dive into applications, I wanted to get some real perspective from people actually in the industry.

How often do you guys see a Personal Banker successfully climb the ladder to Branch Manager? Is that the standard pipeline, or do banks usually hire managers from the outside?

Also, what does the timeline usually look like? How many years are we talking, and do you almost always have to do a stint as an Assistant Branch Manager first?

Would love to hear your experiences or any honest advice you have for someone starting out. Thanks!

I am so tired of people getting upset and cursing me out when I tell them we only provide change to clients of the bank.

We are a private business not a public institution.

Making change for random people is how we get flooded with counterfeits and quick change artists.

It's not "fucking ridiculous" that we don't break bills for random people walking in the door.

Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

I work in a small community bank. I don’t have any certificates or anything like that but i want to get some certification/credentials. Where should i begin? I’ve been in banking for 3 years.

I’m looking to get some honest thoughts on the SBK II position at BofA. I’m a new SBK and I think I’m being voluntold to take this position…

I’m new to banking, I’ve been with the bank for less than 2 years, starting as an RB. I feel like I’ve moved up a little too quickly, and I don’t yet feel proficient in what I do.

For people who have recently transitioned to this role, how are you feeling about it?

For some context I’m a new teller, barely 4 months and this guy came in asking for 8.5k in cash, since I told him that we have a limit per day he started his tantrum, even smacked the counter because of it, GOD I can’t wait to get promoted to back office.
Also, dickhead is working in private banking ( he should’ve known better).

Spotted some roles there, curious how it compares to the rest of the bank