By Jeff Gillis

While you might think a bank teller job is all money money money money…, an even more important aspect is people people people people…

As a bank teller, you will be handling both the financial and customer side of the day-to-day operations of the bank you’re applying to, which is why we’ve included a list of bank teller interview questions (and answers) that addresses both.

As the position of bank teller doesn’t usually require a load of prior experience, there’s a good chance you are applying for this position without having worked in a bank before…

That’s ok!

But it’s critical you go through the job description carefully in order to discover the exact qualities and skills the bank is looking for in their new bank teller.

Common Qualities and Skills Required By Bank Tellers

Here are some of the qualities and skills that a bank is usually looking for in a bank teller.

IMPORTANT: This does NOT mean you don’t have to comb over your particular job description to find out specifically what your target bank is looking for!

• • Communication skills
  • Customer service experience
  • Sales experience (for selling various banking products)
  • Organizational skills
  • Ability to count money quickly and accurately
  • Detail oriented
  • Conflict resolution
  • Ability to remain positive
  • Decent math skills

As you collect these types of skills and qualities from the job description, your job is to weave these into you interview answers.

How to answer bank teller interview questions

Get ready to store this information in your mind bank, because we’ll be telling you everything you need to know to prepare for your job interview. (See what I did there?? 🙂 … Ok, you’re right, I’ll stop 🙁 )

To give you an idea of the kind of response that an interviewer would love to hear, we’ve given you some sample bank teller interview questions and answers.

When looking for a teller, a bank is going to want someone focused, organized, and able to handle multiple tasks at once. They’ll want to see an ability to relate to people too, as that money isn’t just appearing out of nowhere, but from customers going about their day.

As ZipRecruiter says, bank tellers “are the face of customer service for a bank.” Keep that in mind as you answer in your interview. You want to be able to convey both the social and detail-oriented side of you. Don’t just tell your interviewer that you have these qualities but show them using concrete examples!

As you’ll see, that doesn’t mean you have to use examples from past bank teller jobs either.

In fact we we wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions along with their bank teller specific questions!

Click below to get your free PDF now:

Top 20 bank teller interview questions

Here are our top 20 questions we feel you need to be prepared for, along with some sample answers you can use for inspiration:

1. What experience do you have in dealing with large sums of money?

Example Answer:

When I worked at a grocery store during High School, I mostly worked at the register, where I handled customers’ cash. Obviously, the grocery store had a strict protocol regarding the cash drawer, and I recognized the importance of ensuring that the drawer was secure while helping customers that came through my line. Because of my ability to focus on different tasks at the same time, which included helping customers, I was able to remember the importance of always staying near my cash drawer when it was open.

2. What does great customer service look like to you?

Example Answer:

As a customer myself, I know how a friendly face and a helpful attitude can be crucial to ensuring that a customer becomes and stays a regular. As a barista at a coffee shop, I learned that customer service wasn’t just about giving a customer what they wanted but anticipating their needs before they even need to ask. By responding to body language and visual cues, I was able to gage whether a customer needed something explained, or simply wanted to order their drinks quickly. As a bank teller, I would use my people skills to ensure the customer was receiving the service they both wanted and expected.

3. How would you go about selling a product to a customer depositing money?

Example Answer:

Authenticity is important to me, both as a person and as a worker. It is not only more effective, but also keeps people at ease, especially when hearing about a potential product. When I worked for a bookseller a few years ago, my role involved showing customers the benefits of opening a membership account. Instead of using pushiness to encourage customers to get a membership, I used my own personal experience with a membership so that I wasn’t deciding for the customers, but allowing them to decide for themselves. As a bank teller, I would use this authentic and personal approach to show customers why they might want to take part in one of the products we offered.

1. 1. What made you want to be a bank teller?
   2. How do you handle dealing with multiple tasks at once?
   3. How would you get to know a regular client?
   4. How would you handle a customer complaint about slow service?
   5. How would you respond if you saw one of your coworkers pocket any amount of money?
   6. Why did you decide to interview for our bank?
   7. Did you research our bank at all before the interview?
   8. Are you able to adapt to different environments?
   9. Describe a time that you’ve had to resolve an issue with a customer.
   10. What would you do if your supervisor told you to do something a certain way, but you knew of a better way?
   11. Do you have experience providing customer service?
   12. What are your long terms goals with being a bank teller?
   13. Describe a time that you’ve had a problem with a coworker.
   14. What strengths would you bring to being a bank teller?
   15. How would you respond to a customer who’s upset about a new bank policy that seems inconvenient but adds security to their account?
   16. How would you handle a customer who seems annoyed because the customer in front of them was holding up the line?
   17. Have you ever gone above and beyond to help a customer?

5 questions to you can ask at the end of your bank teller interview

Asking questions at the end of the interview isn’t just a chance to learn more about the position, but to demonstrate your personality and own interest in the position. Check out this article, and use the following questions to show your interviewer why you’re the best fit for the job.

1. 1. How many customers does the bank see on a regular basis?
   2. What other tasks does the bank teller job entail?
   3. What is the training process for this job?
   4. Is there opportunity for advancement to different positions in the bank?
   5. What safety procedures and policies should I know about when handling money?

NOTE: For more great questions to ask in an interview check out our article!

Putting it all together

Being a bank teller is crucial for the running of a bank, whether it’s a large, national chain, or a small credit union. A teller is not just in charge of moving money around, but providing a friendly service and even helping the bank sell their products. Show your interviewer that you are able to handle both the social aspect of customer interaction, and the more detail-oriented side of handling large sums of money on a daily basis. When you answer your interview questions, remember to show how your own personal experience has given you the skills to handle the bank teller job.

Our comprehensive guide to answering bank teller interview questions has come to its end, so now its your turn to take this information to the bank… literally!

Best of luck!

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