KEY POINTS:
Where: ASB Learning and Development Centre, Greenlane.
Contact: https://newjobs.asbgroup.co.nz/
Prerequisites: No specific requirements, although an understanding of customer services and a good grasp of English are important.
Course costs: Free as in-house training.
Starting salary: $32,000-$35,000, depending on prior experience.
Long gone are the days of surly customer service at banks. It is now strongly emphasised - so much so that bank tellers have a new name: customer services officer (CSO).
Successful applicants for a position at the ASB spend a week in orientation on the bank floor, before participating in a one-week customer service workshop.
The orientation week familiarises the new employees with ASB's code of conduct, health and safety, and legislation requirements such as the Privacy Act and Consumer Guarantees Act.
The training week focuses on practical training, with trainees learning at a mock bank branch.
As well as basic customer service, training includes use of computer systems, correct procedures for common transactions, customer ID policy and signing limits, balancing procedures, fraud and forgeries and differentiating between automatic payments, direct debit and bill payments.
Security is an important aspect of banking, and branch security and armed hold-up safety training is also part of training.
CSO roles typically lead to personal banker roles.
Jill Chen
Customer services officer
ASB Bank Queen St branch
As a customer services officer, we have to provide the best customer service we can.
I started here in August last year with no prior banking or business administration training. I originally came from China.
I have a computer science and maths degree and postgraduate diploma in primary education.
My first job in New Zealand was in real estate, but I decided I wanted a job in a big organisation with good training and a strong career path. ASB has that. I do normal daily transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals, take general enquiries and advice about sales.
We deal on average with one customer every five minutes, but we are not bound by any time frames.
Providing excellent customer service is a really important part of the role and you develop that through the initial training, then with your manager's guidance and team experience.
One of the most important aspects of the training was finding out about how to find information on the systems.
There is so much we can be asked by customers so it was helpful to learn where to look within the [computer] system. We also spent a full day on security, learning the basic procedures to follow if there is a hold-up.
I really like the job because I'm continually meeting and helping people and learning new knowledge.
You need to be a self-learner to do well here.
You also need to want to help people. It can be a challenge to be nice to all customers, especially when people are being rude. You can't answer back and just have to concentrate on calming them down and giving the best advice you can.
When you successfully get through a situation like that, you do feel a real achievement.
It is never boring because there is so much to learn and so many career opportunities.
My long-term goal is to move into investment advice and business banking. I've just been promoted from customer services officer to personal banker.
Olivia Abbott
ASB Bank branch manager
Auckland
At this branch, there are about 18 customer services officers and four personal bankers.
We want people that can engage with other people, hold a good conversation and be nice to people.
Jill is confident, can hold a conversation, has a big smile, is bouncy and could say: "I really want this job and will work hard." That shone through.
Because the computer does most of the maths required, the most important quality is the ability to talk to customers, uncover their needs and see how you can help them further. Selling is very much part of the role.
We look at previous employment experience, but also take people straight from school if they have the right attitude. We're looking for team players who are confident and have reasonable intelligence.
It certainly helps to have some experience with customer service. Customer services officers also need to be competent at basic computer skills. Good communication skills are important.
Once the week's training is over, customer services officers have ongoing training. There is also guidance and coaching by management. Jill recently did a half-day course about investment advice.
The customer services officer position is an entry role and there are many areas you can then move into.
