Daniel
Customer Adviser
Brixton Branch
How did you get where you are now?
I graduated from university in June 2004, with a degree in media studies. I knew that I wanted to do something connected with sales, and the role of customer adviser seemed to fit all my criteria for a first job. It involved applying sales techniques and interacting with people, two areas where I felt really confident as I’d already gained experience doing part-time work during my student years.
What are your main responsibilities?
Working on the enquiry desk, I’m usually the first point of contact for customers when they come into the bank. I try to establish the purpose of their visit, so that they won’t have to queue up at the counter unnecessarily. Ours is a very busy branch and customers hate wasting time standing in line. For instance, if someone’s paying-in a cheque I direct them to the drop box, or if they want to transfer money, I’ll tell them about our in-branch telephone facility.
Often it turns out that they needn’t have come into the bank in the first place, as the transaction could have been carried out at home, either online or over the phone. Something I always suggest they bear in mind for the future.
I also try to make customers aware of all the services that the bank has to offer, introducing them to a personal banking adviser once they’ve shown interest in a particular product – such as opening a credit card account or taking out a mortgage.
And, when things get really busy, I help out behind the cashier counter.
What kind of person do you have to be to succeed as a Customer Adviser?
For a start, you should have a sunny personality because if you’re not happy, customers will pick up on this and they won’t be very receptive to your suggestions. Also, you have to be able to size people up – you can’t just assume by looking at someone that a particular product would be right for them. You have to keep an open mind.
Give us an insight into the training you receive
After I joined, I spent two weeks at the Southwark Bridge training centre where all the branch network staff in the London area go to learn the ropes. First, we were given the complete low-down on the company, and then we got into the nitty gritty of what the job involves. We were taught how to fill in paperwork and how to do transactions, practising on the same computer software that we’d be using in the branch. We also got a feel for the kind of questions customers were likely to ask us - like what to do about a lost credit card or how to open up a bank account. They used a lot of different techniques to teach us, from role-playing to games and quizzes. And it helped that the atmosphere was so relaxed - we all got along really well.
In the second week, we broke up into groups of three and made presentations to each other. The team I was in had to talk about mortgage and loans – saying what’s great about them by picking on the key selling points.
Since I arrived at the branch where I’m currently working, I’ve never felt alone because there are always colleagues around to help me. Come to think of it, the training must have been pretty good, as three days in, I felt confident enough to do a stint behind the cashier counter unsupervised – though I was sandwiched between a couple of experienced co-workers.
Describe the culture in Branch Network
There’s plenty of team spirit around in my branch. It’s a very lively atmosphere with lots of jokes and friendly competition – we’re always talking about the leads we’ve generated that day. And every Wednesday morning we have a meeting to discuss sales targets. It helps to keep everyone on their toes.
What sort of benefits do you get?
I get an annual bonus, depending on how well my branch has done. There’s also a pension plan. And I’ve just been given free HBOS shares that’ll mature in three years’ time.
What are the promotion opportunities like?
Very good. If you’ve got the right combination of qualities you can go far. At HBOS, they look at the whole picture – not just the number of leads you generate, but how friendly you are with customers, how well you get on with your colleagues and how much you use your initiative.
My goal is to become a Personal Financial Adviser, as I like the way it offers so many sales opportunities.
