by Nancy Linenkugel
Contributor
Recently I was doing some banking at a convenient bank branch, standing dutifully in the queue of rope stanchions. The line moved fairly quickly and soon I found myself in the first position awaiting the next available teller. There were large signs at each teller window with reminders to be sure and have paperwork ready for transactions before approaching the window.
Bank customers had been moving quickly — but then everything seemed to stop with an unusual customer. You couldn't help but notice the individual at the window diagonally across from me. The customer was a lady who looked to be about 35 years old.
She handed a wad of bills over the counter to the teller saying, "Put this in my checking account."
The teller never missed a beat and never wavered in her customer service demeanor. Smiling, she took the money and said, "Do you have your debit card with you? That would be an easy way to look up your account."
The customer said, "No, I don't. I'm not sure where that is since I change purses a lot."
Still smiling the teller said, "I understand. How about a credit card?"
"No, I don’t have one of those either. My husband borrowed it and he hasn't given it back yet."
Once again the teller said calmly, "Do you know your account number?"
"Me? Know my account number? You must be joking. I'm terrible with numbers. Sorry. I can hardly remember my daughter's birthday, although I always know my son's birthday because he was born on 9-11. I was in the hospital bed, suffering in labor, watching the TV and thinking, 'God, what’s going to happen next?'"
"Well, how about your name? I can look up your account using your name. What's your name?" the teller said in patient, dulcet tones.
And then it was my turn. The whole time in line I had been mentally reviewing my own paperwork to be sure that I had everything together. I just hate it if I hold other people up. When the "may I help you" sounded, I purposefully strode up to the teller window, got engrossed in my own transaction, and completed my business quickly. When I left, the other customer was still at the teller window next to me trying to make that cash deposit. I wonder if she was ever found in the system that had no magical way to recognize her wad of bills.
[Sr. Nancy Linenkugel is a Sylvania Franciscan sister and chair of the department of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Cincinnati Ohio.]