I will agree with some (and I mean some-very few) of the cons mentioned in other posts that the balance of work/life is a bit rough. Concessions must be made to work in the retail banking sector; our clients need us to be there for them which requires expanded work hours. It is a 40 hour schedule, but it is different from the normal 9 to 5.
It truly is a numbers game for bankers- not so much a "con" for me, but if you are not sales oriented, do not apply.
***** I am rather insulted by the posts I've read that say we do not care about our clients. That is simply not true. You must understand the logistics of banking to understand why we are compensated for simple things and try so hard to get our clients to use our products. It is simply the way banking as a whole is moving and it began many many years ago. Many times I have met a client that only uses us in a traditional sense, just a bank to cash checks. Think about it though; if I help that customer setup his/her paycheck as a direct deposit then they do not have to wait to get paid or bother with the antiquated "show up to the bank to cash my check" system - it is available immediately. 15K plus ATMs/5K plus branches nationwide give them immediate access to their funds. If I help this same person setup and pay bills using the Chase online banking/bill pay service then I helped this person make sure that their bills are paid in a efficient and timely fashion. If the average person pays 10 bills per month then the stamp cost alone is $4.40 per month/ $52.80 per year. That service is FREE at Chase and we back up our bill pay with guarantees. If my client has a credit card with no rewards and even a normal interest rate, I can roll over those balances to a 0% card and save them money and set them up for rewards. If that client has no savings, I can set them up with a free savings account that they can manage so the nestegg can begin. If that same client left a job many years ago and left behind a 401k, I can setup a meeting with a Chase Financial Advisor that is in-house and free. They can take control of their finances on the spot. If they need a mortgage, I have a mortgage specialist on staff - bam there's your mortgage! And ALL OF IT is available to manage and view through the Chase online banking system. All in-house, all easy to understand, easy to contact your professional financial team, and available nationwide. What more could a client possibly ask for from their bank? Furthermore, what more could a banker ask for from their employer? It is the sweetest possible setup imaginable!!! On top of it, I am compensated to do things I would have done for my clients anyway! How could anyone not see the benfits of working for Chase bank/banking with Chase bank.
For those people that made us sound like mindless drones- you are wrong! We don't try to hurt people, why try to help. If you are not succeeding is this atmosphere then you should consider going to a financial institution that doesn't mind just being the "check casher." Then you can watch the flow of traffic in and out of the branch and never really do anything all day long. That's a great way to "help" people (note the sarcasm).
It is richly rewarding to do my job everyday. Not every day is easy, some people come in and are not happy or want to get more than is afforded to them with our packages, but it is my job to help those people as well- and make sure they leave happy. We can't always help, but we are willing to try.
