If he was up to something he wouldn't have told you. Say nothing, you change your game plan if it bothers you. I can deposit checks from my phone taking a picture of the check, might want to look into that.
<< <i>Let's see how this could play out in a conversation with him and a friend:
The teller could potentially reply with an approximate value of your account(s), assuming he has that information when he services your account. >>
At my bank, they oftimes ask if I'd like a balance which would be printed on the back of my receipt. If you are cashing a check, they look to see if you have sufficient funds in your account to cover it. They can easily see your balance.
<< <i>RYK, you're a physician right? How would it play if you casually mentioned to him that you looked up his medical information at the hospital and noticed he was a smoker, diabetic, and recovering drug addict? Maybe what he did isn't the same order of magnitude, but you should have a reasonable expectation of privacy at your bank. You could also have answered, "Huh? Oh, them? Nah, I just do some computer/legal/consulting/astrology work for their business." Mention it to the banker? Absolutely, but softly, with tact. >>
Anymore there is no expectation of privacy. As soon as you walk into the bank's parking lot your privacy is out the window since you will on camera constantly until you leave. As soon as the teller sees your check, it's no longer private. You do however expect that the teller will keep your info confidential.
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part.
Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. - Bastiat
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part. >>
I might open the subject with your Banker friend as if you read the issue here and it happened to someone else...
see how he reacts,,, if it is a BIG no no then tell him about it saying you didn't want to say it was his bank so as to not get the teller in trouble, but since he said it was not appropriate then I am sure he would want to know, (as mentioned for training purposes)
was gonna hit the St Charles show tomorrow am but now gonna go for the auction at 5pm as I have a Half dollar in it... Hope to see you there
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part. >>
Per the OP he Googled Great Collections who would be the payer. He was probably curious who Great Collections was. He assumed then that RYK was a collector since he apparently auctioned off items from his collection. Googling the OP produces no immediate references to coins or coin collectors.
If you talk to anyone, I would talk to the young man himself. Keep your banker friend out of this.
All of the responses from people saying "I have been a banker for 20 years....yaddie, yaddie....and this is inappropriate" are irrelevant to this situation/conversation. This is a KID, not someone with 20 years of experience. I'm sure you were all green also when you were in the first month of your employment.
Strike it up to youth/immaturity, etc. Talking to your banker friend is the passive/aggressive way out. Mentioning something in a soft voice but sternly to the kid is the assertive (and grown-up) way of handling this issue.
Just my opinion...
-Brandon -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- My sets: [290+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins] -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
<< <i>I bank at a smaller, local bank in which I have a personal and business relationship. I have accounts and my SDBs at this location, which is conveniently located near my home. I personally know the long tenured tellers and the officers of this branch (and am coincidentally having dinner with my banker tomorrow evening).
Today, I dropped by the bank to deposit a check from Great Collections and to grab some coins from the SDB to sell at the show. As I customarily do, I deposited the check and then asked the teller to take me to the SDB. The teller was a newer one, a young man, who was very friendly and accommodating. As I was returning the box to the vault, he said to me that he saw that I was a coin collector. I did not immediately respond, but he then said that he googled "Great Collections" from my deposited check and that was how he knew. I was a little bit taken aback, but I played along and mostly downplayed it, we chatted about searching rolls and the like, and I left.
I tend not to be paranoid about stuff, but I also try to be discreet about my interest in coins among strangers. How would you feel about this? Would you mention anything to your banker at dinner tomorrow? >>
Move to another bank.. that is how a friend was robbed
<< <i>Does anyone here ever write on their checks XXRare Coins when making a payment. Well that can be easily seen by any bank employee, so maybe one shouldn't do that if you know what I mean, that got your home address, right! >>
Mose coin companies I have dealt with have coins on their checks .. even a few local ones have some sort of a coin vanity license plate
I doubt it even dawned on the teller that he was invading your privacy, he was likely just curious what kind of "Great Collections" the company puts together.
I would bring it up, but be gentle. It's probably the guy's second job (newly retired from flipping burgers in high-school.)
I knew this story would generate a wide variety of responses and a fair amount of interest.
To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
I highly doubt that it is his job to do so. I was not cashing the check, just depositing it. It was not a huge check, one from a new payee, or outside the pattern of my activity on this account. He even casually mentioned that he likes to look up payers of checks to see what business they were in.
Have we come to the point where there is no privacy from anyone random person's prevue? I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue?
I am 99.9% sure that he was only making casual conversation. This bank environment is very friendly, most of the teller's know me by name, and vice versa, and I generally like that. However, is there any boundary or line that is sacred? What if Great Collections were the name of a sperm bank or male escort service? Am I compelled, as a customer of the bank, to discuss these income activities with the new teller?
(Great Collections as the name of a sperm bank would be pretty hilarious, BTW )
<< <i>I knew this story would generate a wide variety of responses and a fair amount of interest.
To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
I highly doubt that it is his job to do so. I was not cashing the check, just depositing it. It was not a huge check, one from a new payee, or outside the pattern of my activity on this account. He even casually mentioned that he likes to look up payers of checks to see what business they were in.
Have we come to the point where there is no privacy from anyone random person's prevue? I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue?
I am 99.9% sure that he was only making casual conversation. This bank environment is very friendly, most of the teller's know me by name, and vice versa, and I generally like that. However, is there any boundary or line that is sacred? What if Great Collections were the name of a sperm bank or male escort service? Am I compelled, as a customer of the bank, to discuss these income activities with the new teller?
(Great Collections as the name of a sperm bank would be pretty hilarious, BTW ) >>
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me? 2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue? >>
Ask him. >>
There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August.
Great Collections was already on the check for anyone and everyone to see. What would have been a better question? Are you into art? 45 records? Wines? What difference does it make. But saying I googled it doesn't show much character. If you can't trust your banker than who? I would be more worried if he was loud and the conversation was being overheard. Bankers check everything. Especially when they are not familiar with the check's name. I can google anything I want but to address the person about it? I think once two people measure up the other, a mutual understanding takes place, a trust builds, even in a matter of seconds and one can ask a simple question, however discreetly. I once had a banker ask me, how did you come into so much money and I simply told her, my great great grandma die, anything else you want to know? Another time while making a substantial withdrawal, a teller asked, you're not leaving our bank, are you? I replied, I might! But she's such a dear gal. This evening when the waitress asked if I would like crackers with my salad, I asked her, wouldn't you? She replied, I'll get them right away sir. I almost wanted to marry that gal.
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
Tellers, bankers, accountants, doctors and all kinds of other people have access to all kinds of information about us. Just a fact of life. The important thing is not to keep them in the dark, but to get them to appreciate the situation and respect our privacy, mainly because we do not want to worry about what they will say to other people that have no "need to know". The teller has exhibited that he has no appreciation of any of this, and he needs a slap on his wrist from his employer. If he catches on, great, he could become a good employee. Otherwise, he's gone.
Edited to add a couple of illustrations, as follows.
First, if I go to my safe deposit and do a quick drop off, without taking my box to a private room, the bank employee will turn his back on me so as not to be catch a glimpse of anything that might be in my box. Of course, everyone at my bank knows I'm a coin dealer, and they already know what's in the box. But the fact that they show a respect for my privacy makes me more confident that they won't say anything to anyone that might put me at risk.
Second, a few times, bank employees have asked me if they can give my name to other customers that have coins for sale. I tell them yes, of course, but it's good that they asked me first.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>99% - any strong criticism is going to be a massive smackdown for the new hire who was purely innocent and thought they were being friendly >>
I once had the head teller of my credit union ask if I collected coins. I don't know how she knew, because this was before I got a SDB there. I must have mentioned something in passing, when I was looking for half dollar rolls or buying a lot of nickel rolls to search for early Jeffs and war nicks.
When I replied in the affirmative, she told me she had some silver halves. Just like that. She knew what they were.
And she sold me four rolls of halves at face. All the coins except two were 40% silvers. (One was a clad and the other exception was a single 90% 1964 coin).
Even with lower bullion back then, that was a pretty nice lick.
And it never would have happened if the teller hadn't known I was a coin geek. She was looking out for me. Why she didn't purchase the coins for herself (since she knew they were silver) is anybody's guess. Maybe they aren't allowed to do that.
I can't remember if I bought her lunch or not, but if I didn't, I should have.
So, see? It's not always a bad thing that other people know what you are up to, though with you having a much more valuable collection than I do, I can understand your reticence.
PS- last fall I scored these at face value. Not the haul of the century, but pretty neat.
Same credit union, different teller. (Who also knows I collect coins.)
Moral of the story: it can pay to cultivate your friendly bank tellers. If you prefer anonymity, go to a different bank, maybe, but I say if the guy is friendly, play that for what it's worth. You might gain a useful ally. (And after all, what's he gonna do, drill your SDB open? You need both keys to open one of those things, right?)
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Privacy in today's world of 'easy information' is something that is very difficult to control, especially when the words "GreatCollection" are on one's checks.
But the young teller was definitely in the wrong for bringing up the subject.
He shouldn't be fired though, that's way too extreme.
"Gold is money, and nothing else" (JP Morgan, 1912)
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
First off, I don't even like it when a postal clerk asks me what's inside my insured package. That being said..............
He's probably a good kid, but he should also learn the ropes for his type of employment. He may be a collector, and he probably thinks you are approachable as a good guy. Like I said, he simply needs to learn the appropriate level of discretion in dealing with other peoples' money. How he learns this, and the impact on his employment is up to you.
Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally
Since this thread is about appropriateness and respecting one's privacy, I'd like mention a related matter...
Many of us know each other by name, and where we approximately live. The problem happens when folks think it is ok to address us by name: first and sometimes even last name. My profile is setup to maintain my anonymity, yet I see on rare occasion someone address me by name. That person was almost certainly being polite, and I haven't had my home invaded yet.
But, I ask folks to be mindful of each other's privacy.
It is a very uncomfortable situation as I've had this happen to me at the Post Office a few times over the years. Always by a newer clerk with no couth when the whole place is packed. I made the mistake years ago mentioning this to a non forum collector buddy with a sense of humor on par with mine. He's someone that I purchase a lot of auction catalogs and books from. Ever since venting years ago he marks every media mail envelope with red marker in huge letters a "ADULT MATERIALS" as a diversion. I've never mentioned this here as I really don't want anyone else doing it when sending me something but this has worked. As now all the newer postal employees distance themselves from me due to embarrassment as they feel I'm into smut.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
In reference to what LordM said - most of the tellers in the various financial institutions I deal with know I am a coin collector - which has it's benefits in that the most of them save stuff for me because I give out goodies for silver, old coins etc. But if someone asked me that question while going into my SDB I would be chaffed big time. In my business I know lots of people in these banks and credit unions, including managers, directors etc. One time when I went into a branch some snotty teller chewed me out for bothering her by asking her if she had any out of the ordinary money I could buy - literally yelled at me in front of the whole bank. Problem for her was that I was also friends with the branch manager and assistant manager and the vault teller there - we have all worked together on volunteer projects and go to the same church. You can bet she got a talkin' too about the whole episode.
But I have to say the great majority of the time I have tellers bending over backwards to accommodate my monetary pursuits - calling me quickly when treasure comes in, making stuff "unavailable" to other customers etc.
<< <i>Ever since venting years ago he marks every media mail envelope with red marker in huge letters a "ADULT MATERIALS" as a diversion. I've never mentioned this here as I really don't want anyone else doing it when sending me something but this has worked. As now all the newer postal employees distance themselves from me due to embarrassment as they feel I'm into smut. >>
Reminds me of a friend in Scotland that sent me some money to pay for some coins in an envelope marked "hazardous biological samples" - this was pre 9-11.
<< <i>I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal. >>
This is not the medical field. Personally identified medical information other than for the direct care of a patient is protected information under law. As far as I know, banking information is not protected like medical information. Your bank shares your account balances, and all kinds of financial information related to credit worthiness, etc.
<< <i>There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August. >>
This seems like a passive-aggressive and unprofessional way of handling the issue. Do you escalate all issues to this level (president/CEO), regardless of if you're friends with the bank president or not?? This is a very immature response in my opinion. Why not just softly ask the teller to be more discreet? I don't see the harm in that response. Unfortunately, you already lost out on your most useful time to make such a comment -- when originally asked about the coins.
-Brandon -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- My sets: [290+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins] -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
I have decided not to mention this to my friend, the President of the bank. I agree that any escalation of the incident would only draw more unwanted attention to myself.
I will not mention it to the teller. It is not my duty or role to be a mentor or coach for him. I do believe that if he continues with this line of behavior, he will not have his job for long.
I do not believe that it is appropriate for the bank teller to be googling payees of depositors or the depositors themselves and then confronting the customers with the information he has obtained, even if it is to make small talk. "Mrs. Smith, it's a good thing you go a check back from the plastic surgeon. He did a lousy job on that facelift." "Mr. Jones, I see you got a nice settlement check from your wife after she was caught sleeping around before your divorce." Etc.
You get the idea. Some think the teller crossed the line. Others do not. I believe that he was very close to the line of what is acceptable. I would rather that he talk about the weather, the baseball team, or the stock market. Perhaps in time, if we develop a relationship, we can discuss our mutual hobbies.
<< <i>I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal. >>
This is not the medical field. Personally identified medical information other than for the direct care of a patient is protected information under law. As far as I know, banking information is not protected like medical information. Your bank shares your account balances, and all kinds of financial information related to credit worthiness, etc.
I agree. So far as I know, it is not the job duty of the teller to discuss my transactions with me. And I should not be put in the position of having to discuss them with him, unless banking rules have changed. In my lifetime, I am sure that I have made 100's or 1000's of deposits, and no one has ever discussed the payee and or the line of work that they are in.
<< <i>There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August. >>
This seems like a passive-aggressive and unprofessional way of handling the issue. Do you escalate all issues to this level (president/CEO), regardless of if you're friends with the bank president or not?? This is a very immature response in my opinion. Why not just softly ask the teller to be more discreet? I don't see the harm in that response. Unfortunately, you already lost out on your most useful time to make such a comment -- when originally asked about the coins. >>
I completely disagree with this. It would be unprofessional for me to engage the teller on what is and is not appropriate behavior for a teller. For one thing, I do not what is his job description, what are the rules for a teller, etc. I am not his supervisor. I am not really interested in fixing the problem. I just want to get in and out and do my business without having to answer nosy questions. If there is a legitimate reason to ask a question about a transaction and confront me on it, that's fine with me. Just to make small talk, no thanks.
As a customer of the bank, I have every right to pull my accounts from the bank for any reason ranging from a small incident like this to something more egregious, like if the teller were wearing a Baltimore Ravens tie.
I would have a quiet talk with the branch manager and ask him to speak with the teller about the incident.
Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
But, there is not one person at my bank that does not know about my interest in rare coins. I go there often, and each teller is aware of the large collection I have in their bank. No one has said anything out loud, but I am a preferred customer, and know everyone on a personal basis--name, where they reside, some of their kids. These people are not strangers.
My financial statement with them includes the value(cost) of my coins, as well as the value of my art collection. Yours may also reveal information about you that they could use in an unlawful way.
I hope you trust them enough to believe this was just a naïve slip by a new employee.
I have kinfolks who are bankers in a small town. They pass the hours by looking at people's stuff and gather the scoop on affairs that should be private. If I had a dime for every time they said "You wouldn't believe how much money ol' so-and-so has..."
<< <i>I have kinfolks who are bankers in a small town. They pass the hours by looking at people's stuff and gather the scoop on affairs that should be private. If I had a dime for every time they said "You wouldn't believe how much money ol' so-and-so has..." >>
Yup. But if word gets out that they use that info inappropriately they could be in big trouble. Even in a bank situation there is no expectation of privacy. That info is not private because if it was they wouldn't know about it. The issue is confidentiality, not privacy.
I think it was inappropriate for him to Google the name of the company and then to also mention it to you.
Longacre is getting old, but I think the kids today think "Googling" someone or something is no big deal. Just this morning I told one of my staff (in her early 30s) about a new business colleague related to my job. About 5 minutes later I walked by her desk and she had already Googled him. She told me his age, the name of his wife, the town that he lives in, where he went to college, and some other data. I was pretty surprised that she had done that, and then told me about it.
Not that I am making an excuse for this young whippersnapper, but it is possible that he saw his actions as "no big deal". Perhaps someone should mention that it is not appropriate.
Always took candy from strangers Didn't wanna get me no trade Never want to be like papa Working for the boss every night and day --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
This bothers me. I can understand his curiosity, but he has a responsibility to respect your privacy. If he's new, the bank needs to explain what fiduciary responsibility means. To Google the maker of a check is just bad form.
I don't want to see him fired, but being young and naive is all the more reason to teach the importance of privacy and confidentiality, sure theres way too much out there thats easy to access and its getting more lax everyday. It should not evolve into the Norm, we constantley fight for our rights and freedoms in this country and seem to have to reafirm them on a regular basis, just a simple mention of this should resolve the problem that concerns your and alot of others convictions.
<<< I have decided not to mention this to my friend, the President of the bank. I agree that any escalation of the incident would only draw more unwanted attention to myself.
I will not mention it to the teller. It is not my duty or role to be a mentor or coach for him. >>>
That is the exact well thought out logical and correct decision IMO.
<< <i>3) Yes I would tell your banker and I would let him pick up the check
He always does. >>
...until you tell him about the conversation.
"government is not reason, it is not eloquence-it is a force! like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master; never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." George Washington
Comments
By the time this thread is done, everyone will know everything about you. Forget the kid at the bank!
<< <i>Let's see how this could play out in a conversation with him and a friend:
The teller could potentially reply with an approximate value of your account(s), assuming he has that information when he services your account. >>
At my bank, they oftimes ask if I'd like a balance which would be printed on the back of my receipt. If you are cashing a check, they look to see if you have sufficient funds in your account to cover it. They can easily see your balance.
<< <i>RYK, you're a physician right? How would it play if you casually mentioned to him that you looked up his medical information at the hospital and noticed he was a smoker, diabetic, and recovering drug addict? Maybe what he did isn't the same order of magnitude, but you should have a reasonable expectation of privacy at your bank. You could also have answered, "Huh? Oh, them? Nah, I just do some computer/legal/consulting/astrology work for their business." Mention it to the banker? Absolutely, but softly, with tact. >>
Anymore there is no expectation of privacy. As soon as you walk into the bank's parking lot your privacy is out the window since you will on camera constantly until you leave. As soon as the teller sees your check, it's no longer private. You do however expect that the teller will keep your info confidential.
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part.
Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. - Bastiat
--------T O M---------
-------------------------
<< <i>
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part. >>
Hopefully, a word to the wise will be sufficient.
see how he reacts,,, if it is a BIG no no then tell him about it saying you didn't want to say it was his bank so as to not get
the teller in trouble, but since he said it was not appropriate then I am sure he would want to know, (as mentioned for training purposes)
was gonna hit the St Charles show tomorrow am but now gonna go for the auction at 5pm as I have a Half dollar in it...
Hope to see you there
<< <i>
<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>
The teller googled the payee name on the check, probabably because he is some type collector himself and was intrigued by the name. He did not do a search on deposit data, he had that info when he was looking at your account during the deposit. I would voice my concerns directly to the teller and let him know that customer discretion is a must in his line of work. Having his boss tell him shows a lack of discretion on your part. >>
Per the OP he Googled Great Collections who would be the payer. He was probably curious who Great Collections was. He assumed then that RYK was a collector since he apparently auctioned off items from his collection. Googling the OP produces no immediate references to coins or coin collectors.
All of the responses from people saying "I have been a banker for 20 years....yaddie, yaddie....and this is inappropriate" are irrelevant to this situation/conversation. This is a KID, not someone with 20 years of experience. I'm sure you were all green also when you were in the first month of your employment.
Strike it up to youth/immaturity, etc. Talking to your banker friend is the passive/aggressive way out. Mentioning something in a soft voice but sternly to the kid is the assertive (and grown-up) way of handling this issue.
Just my opinion...
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
My sets: [290+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
www.brunkauctions.com
<< <i>I bank at a smaller, local bank in which I have a personal and business relationship. I have accounts and my SDBs at this location, which is conveniently located near my home. I personally know the long tenured tellers and the officers of this branch (and am coincidentally having dinner with my banker tomorrow evening).
Today, I dropped by the bank to deposit a check from Great Collections and to grab some coins from the SDB to sell at the show. As I customarily do, I deposited the check and then asked the teller to take me to the SDB. The teller was a newer one, a young man, who was very friendly and accommodating. As I was returning the box to the vault, he said to me that he saw that I was a coin collector. I did not immediately respond, but he then said that he googled "Great Collections" from my deposited check and that was how he knew. I was a little bit taken aback, but I played along and mostly downplayed it, we chatted about searching rolls and the like, and I left.
I tend not to be paranoid about stuff, but I also try to be discreet about my interest in coins among strangers. How would you feel about this? Would you mention anything to your banker at dinner tomorrow? >>
Move to another bank.. that is how a friend was robbed
<< <i>Does anyone here ever write on their checks XXRare Coins when making a payment. Well that can be easily seen by any bank employee, so maybe one shouldn't do that if you know what I mean, that got your home address, right! >>
Mose coin companies I have dealt with have coins on their checks .. even a few local ones have some sort of a coin vanity license plate
I would bring it up, but be gentle. It's probably the guy's second job (newly retired from flipping burgers in high-school.)
To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
I highly doubt that it is his job to do so. I was not cashing the check, just depositing it. It was not a huge check, one from a new payee, or outside the pattern of my activity on this account. He even casually mentioned that he likes to look up payers of checks to see what business they were in.
Have we come to the point where there is no privacy from anyone random person's prevue? I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue?
I am 99.9% sure that he was only making casual conversation. This bank environment is very friendly, most of the teller's know me by name, and vice versa, and I generally like that. However, is there any boundary or line that is sacred? What if Great Collections were the name of a sperm bank or male escort service? Am I compelled, as a customer of the bank, to discuss these income activities with the new teller?
(Great Collections as the name of a sperm bank would be pretty hilarious, BTW
<< <i>I knew this story would generate a wide variety of responses and a fair amount of interest.
To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
I highly doubt that it is his job to do so. I was not cashing the check, just depositing it. It was not a huge check, one from a new payee, or outside the pattern of my activity on this account. He even casually mentioned that he likes to look up payers of checks to see what business they were in.
Have we come to the point where there is no privacy from anyone random person's prevue? I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue?
I am 99.9% sure that he was only making casual conversation. This bank environment is very friendly, most of the teller's know me by name, and vice versa, and I generally like that. However, is there any boundary or line that is sacred? What if Great Collections were the name of a sperm bank or male escort service? Am I compelled, as a customer of the bank, to discuss these income activities with the new teller?
(Great Collections as the name of a sperm bank would be pretty hilarious, BTW
Ya why not he may want to make a deposit.
Hoard the keys.
<< <i>To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue? >>
Ask him.
<< <i>
<< <i>To me, there are two areas of concern:
1. Why is the teller looking up the payer of a check to me?
2. Why is he engaging me in conversation me on the issue? >>
Ask him. >>
There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August.
<< <i>1) Welcome back
2) Yes it would bug me
3) Yes I would tell your banker and I would let him pick up the check
MJ >>
What MJ said.
You are in great danger and should liquidate your collection immediately.
Do not hold out for a good price, as it all must be disposed of within days or they will find out more.
So. That said...
I'll buy a few.
<< <i>
At least not until google caches this page and this reference to this R.K. in it's database. Then there sure will be. >>
Yes, I saw that, too.
Bankers check everything. Especially when they are not familiar with the check's name. I can google anything I want but to address the person about it? I think once two people measure up the other, a mutual understanding takes place, a trust builds, even in a matter of seconds and one can ask a simple question, however discreetly.
I once had a banker ask me, how did you come into so much money and I simply told her, my great great grandma die, anything else you want to know? Another time while making a substantial withdrawal, a teller asked, you're not leaving our bank, are you? I replied, I might! But she's such a dear gal.
This evening when the waitress asked if I would like crackers with my salad, I asked her, wouldn't you? She replied, I'll get them right away sir. I almost wanted to marry that gal.
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
Edited to add a couple of illustrations, as follows.
First, if I go to my safe deposit and do a quick drop off, without taking my box to a private room, the bank employee will turn his back on me so as not to be catch a glimpse of anything that might be in my box. Of course, everyone at my bank knows I'm a coin dealer, and they already know what's in the box. But the fact that they show a respect for my privacy makes me more confident that they won't say anything to anyone that might put me at risk.
Second, a few times, bank employees have asked me if they can give my name to other customers that have coins for sale. I tell them yes, of course, but it's good that they asked me first.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>99% - any strong criticism is going to be a massive smackdown for the new hire who was purely innocent and thought they were being friendly >>
I once had the head teller of my credit union ask if I collected coins. I don't know how she knew, because this was before I got a SDB there. I must have mentioned something in passing, when I was looking for half dollar rolls or buying a lot of nickel rolls to search for early Jeffs and war nicks.
When I replied in the affirmative, she told me she had some silver halves. Just like that. She knew what they were.
And she sold me four rolls of halves at face. All the coins except two were 40% silvers. (One was a clad and the other exception was a single 90% 1964 coin).
Even with lower bullion back then, that was a pretty nice lick.
And it never would have happened if the teller hadn't known I was a coin geek. She was looking out for me. Why she didn't purchase the coins for herself (since she knew they were silver) is anybody's guess. Maybe they aren't allowed to do that.
I can't remember if I bought her lunch or not, but if I didn't, I should have.
So, see? It's not always a bad thing that other people know what you are up to, though with you having a much more valuable collection than I do, I can understand your reticence.
PS- last fall I scored these at face value. Not the haul of the century, but pretty neat.
Same credit union, different teller. (Who also knows I collect coins.)
Moral of the story: it can pay to cultivate your friendly bank tellers. If you prefer anonymity, go to a different bank, maybe, but I say if the guy is friendly, play that for what it's worth. You might gain a useful ally. (And after all, what's he gonna do, drill your SDB open? You need both keys to open one of those things, right?)
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
But the young teller was definitely in the wrong for bringing up the subject.
He shouldn't be fired though, that's way too extreme.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
BHNC #203
First off, I don't even like it when a postal clerk asks me what's inside my insured package. That being said..............
He's probably a good kid, but he should also learn the ropes for his type of employment. He may be a collector, and he probably thinks you are approachable as a good guy. Like I said, he simply needs to learn the appropriate level of discretion in dealing with other peoples' money. How he learns this, and the impact on his employment is up to you.
I knew it would happen.
Many of us know each other by name, and where we approximately live. The problem happens when folks think it is ok to address us by name: first and sometimes even last name. My profile is setup to maintain my anonymity, yet I see on rare occasion someone address me by name. That person was almost certainly being polite, and I haven't had my home invaded yet.
But, I ask folks to be mindful of each other's privacy.
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
<< <i>
<< <i>
At least not until google caches this page and this reference to this R.K. in it's database. Then there sure will be. >>
Yes, I saw that, too. >>
As of now yer page 3 and it's not this thread.
But I have to say the great majority of the time I have tellers bending over backwards to accommodate my monetary pursuits - calling me quickly when treasure comes in, making stuff "unavailable" to other customers etc.
<< <i>Ever since venting years ago he marks every media mail envelope with red marker in huge letters a "ADULT MATERIALS" as a diversion. I've never mentioned this here as I really don't want anyone else doing it when sending me something but this has worked. As now all the newer postal employees distance themselves from me due to embarrassment as they feel I'm into smut. >>
Reminds me of a friend in Scotland that sent me some money to pay for some coins in an envelope marked "hazardous biological samples" - this was pre 9-11.
<< <i>I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
>>
This is not the medical field. Personally identified medical information other than for the direct care of a patient is protected information under law. As far as I know, banking information is not protected like medical information. Your bank shares your account balances, and all kinds of financial information related to credit worthiness, etc.
<< <i>There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August. >>
This seems like a passive-aggressive and unprofessional way of handling the issue. Do you escalate all issues to this level (president/CEO), regardless of if you're friends with the bank president or not?? This is a very immature response in my opinion. Why not just softly ask the teller to be more discreet? I don't see the harm in that response. Unfortunately, you already lost out on your most useful time to make such a comment -- when originally asked about the coins.
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My sets: [290+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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an indiscretion.
He is young and shouldn't have mentioned anything other than
chat about the weather, etc.
No good can come from mentioning this with the bank president at dinner, it
just will escalate the incident.
It is probably best to have several banks and SDB's.
I will not mention it to the teller. It is not my duty or role to be a mentor or coach for him. I do believe that if he continues with this line of behavior, he will not have his job for long.
I do not believe that it is appropriate for the bank teller to be googling payees of depositors or the depositors themselves and then confronting the customers with the information he has obtained, even if it is to make small talk. "Mrs. Smith, it's a good thing you go a check back from the plastic surgeon. He did a lousy job on that facelift." "Mr. Jones, I see you got a nice settlement check from your wife after she was caught sleeping around before your divorce." Etc.
You get the idea. Some think the teller crossed the line. Others do not. I believe that he was very close to the line of what is acceptable. I would rather that he talk about the weather, the baseball team, or the stock market. Perhaps in time, if we develop a relationship, we can discuss our mutual hobbies.
<< <i>
<< <i>I know that in the medical field, if a doctor or nurse made a casual inquiry into a person's medical history on an electronic record it would be grounds for dismissal.
>>
This is not the medical field. Personally identified medical information other than for the direct care of a patient is protected information under law. As far as I know, banking information is not protected like medical information. Your bank shares your account balances, and all kinds of financial information related to credit worthiness, etc.
I agree. So far as I know, it is not the job duty of the teller to discuss my transactions with me. And I should not be put in the position of having to discuss them with him, unless banking rules have changed. In my lifetime, I am sure that I have made 100's or 1000's of deposits, and no one has ever discussed the payee and or the line of work that they are in.
<< <i>There is a 0% chance that I will ask the teller. There is a 50% chance that I will ask the President of the bank tomorrow night, and if I do not like the answer, there is a 100% chance that my business and personal banking will be elsewhere in August. >>
This seems like a passive-aggressive and unprofessional way of handling the issue. Do you escalate all issues to this level (president/CEO), regardless of if you're friends with the bank president or not?? This is a very immature response in my opinion. Why not just softly ask the teller to be more discreet? I don't see the harm in that response. Unfortunately, you already lost out on your most useful time to make such a comment -- when originally asked about the coins. >>
I completely disagree with this. It would be unprofessional for me to engage the teller on what is and is not appropriate behavior for a teller. For one thing, I do not what is his job description, what are the rules for a teller, etc. I am not his supervisor. I am not really interested in fixing the problem. I just want to get in and out and do my business without having to answer nosy questions. If there is a legitimate reason to ask a question about a transaction and confront me on it, that's fine with me. Just to make small talk, no thanks.
As a customer of the bank, I have every right to pull my accounts from the bank for any reason ranging from a small incident like this to something more egregious, like if the teller were wearing a Baltimore Ravens tie.
I hear your concern, and it was inappropriate.
But, there is not one person at my bank that does not know about my interest in rare coins. I go there often, and each teller is aware of the large collection I have in their bank. No one has said anything out loud,
but I am a preferred customer, and know everyone on a personal basis--name, where they reside, some of their kids. These people are not strangers.
My financial statement with them includes the value(cost) of my coins, as well as the value of my art collection. Yours may also reveal information about you that they could use in an unlawful way.
I hope you trust them enough to believe this was just a naïve slip by a new employee.
<< <i>I have kinfolks who are bankers in a small town. They pass the hours by looking at people's stuff and gather the scoop on affairs that should be private. If I had a dime for every time they said "You wouldn't believe how much money ol' so-and-so has..." >>
Yup. But if word gets out that they use that info inappropriately they could be in big trouble. Even in a bank situation there is no expectation of privacy. That info is not private because if it was they wouldn't know about it. The issue is confidentiality, not privacy.
Longacre is getting old, but I think the kids today think "Googling" someone or something is no big deal. Just this morning I told one of my staff (in her early 30s) about a new business colleague related to my job. About 5 minutes later I walked by her desk and she had already Googled him. She told me his age, the name of his wife, the town that he lives in, where he went to college, and some other data. I was pretty surprised that she had done that, and then told me about it.
Not that I am making an excuse for this young whippersnapper, but it is possible that he saw his actions as "no big deal". Perhaps someone should mention that it is not appropriate.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
is all the more reason to teach the importance of privacy
and confidentiality, sure theres way too much out there
thats easy to access and its getting more lax everyday.
It should not evolve into the Norm, we constantley fight
for our rights and freedoms in this country and seem to
have to reafirm them on a regular basis, just a simple
mention of this should resolve the problem that concerns
your and alot of others convictions.
Steve
I will not mention it to the teller. It is not my duty or role to be a mentor or coach for him. >>>
That is the exact well thought out logical and correct decision IMO.
<< <i>3) Yes I would tell your banker and I would let him pick up the check
He always does.
...until you tell him about the conversation.