Banking customer service managers work behind the scenes in banks, credit
unions and trust companies. They make sure customers are happy, employees
are working well and operations are running smoothly.
"You need to be very detail-[oriented] and you have to be very outgoing,"
says Laura Bagheri, a customer service manager. "You have to nurture people."
Managers also have operational and auditing duties. Having sales experience
is also helpful. That's because banks are selling more products than ever
before.
These managers have a variety of duties, including:
- Supervising customer service representatives or bank tellers
- Training, assessing and evaluating staff on a regular basis
- Making sure the automatic teller machines are operating properly
- Personally handling customer complaints and concerns
These managers conduct performance appraisals of their staff and make recommendations
for bonuses and salary increases.
"The most important skills a good CSM needs are people skills and leadership
ability," says Doug Nikiforuk, a customer service and operations manager.
"You have to be a good communicator and a real people person. And you have
to understand that being a leader means being fair -- but it's not a popularity
contest."
Banking experience is essential, says Bagheri. Her bank recruits people
for banking careers by hiring them as tellers first.
What kind of skills do employers look for?
"We're looking for someone who's capable of supervising, is friendly and
outgoing, and is eager to work in a sales and customer service business,"
says Nikiforuk.
As with many management positions, customer service managers are more likely
to find jobs in urban centers, in large financial institutions.
There are also opportunities to transfer to different branches in different
cities within a company. In fact, they must consider the option of being transferred,
and should be willing to consider moving if they want to succeed.
Customer service managers spend their days in clean, well-lit office settings.They
supervise, train and manage other employees, and deal with customers. They
typically work 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Banks that offer extended
hours will require managers to work weekend and evening hours.
As these managers deal with the public, they must maintain a professional
appearance and may be required to stand for long periods of time.