Teller jobs depend on customers — study

Press, 31 January 1989, Page 16

Teller jobs depend on customers — study

PA Wellington The jobs of hundreds of thousands of bank tellers in industrialised countries may depend on whether customers prefer people to machines, according to the International Labour Organisation. An 1.L.0. study says computerised banking is changing the nature of the teller’s job. Tellers make up about 20 per cent to 25 per cent of bank workers. There are more than 500,000 in the United States and nearly 1.5 million in Europe, handling most of the retail customer’s ordinary business, about 250 transactions each a day. Some surveys show .that the installation of computers at the counter allows tellers to expand their responsibilities, and boost job satisfaction. The machines take over some of the routine tasks of calculating and formfilling, allowing the teller

to interact better with the customer. But/ many tollers say computerisation has made their work more monotonous, though few wish to return to the old system of filling out forms manually. The 1.L.0. says some unions are concerned that calculating skills and the expertise of the customer advisor may no longer be required of the teller, leading to the downgrading of posts and loss of earnings. As well, automated teller machines that accept deposits, dispense cash and take certain orders are proliferating, with more than 300,000 anticipated round. the world by 1994. ' ' The potential impact of the machines on the employment of tellers is twofold, the 1.L.0. says.. “First, it may diminish the number of transactions made at the counter and reduce the num-

ber of tellers needed. Second, as they become more complex and more versatile, it might be possible to set up unstaffed bank branches.” Already in some countries, small bank branches have no personnel, only machines. While unions fear teller jobs will disappear entirely once the automation process is complete, the American Bureau of Labour Statistics has forecast substantial gains in teller posts. Ultimately, the reactions of the customers and whether they will be content with automation or demand personalised services is what counts, the 1.L.0. says. “The jobs' of hundreds of thousands .of bank tellers in industrialised countries may depend on what people, not computers, decide."