Best bank employee ...ever

[thurmownator]

Went to a bank (credit union) late Friday morning. They didn't have any loose halves or rolls; so I asked if they had a coin counting machine and could I buy the bag of halves.

The asst branch mgr overheard me and said that while they couldn't sell me a partial bag, I could exchange halves for halves for anything in the bag I was looking for. With that, I went out to my car; as I always carry a pouch of about $50- $60 in halves; to spend around town; trying to minimize what gets sent back to the Fed that I might wind up seeing again.

I half (pun intended) expected them to just make a cursory look in the top of the bag and tell me what they saw. Instead, the asst branch mgr asked me what I was looking for. Surprised, but not wanting to be a pain, and at the same time not wanting to miss an opportunity with the roughly $300 in halves they thought they had in there; I said I was looking for any halves before 1971 and after 2001. Aside from some proofs, 40% '76s and '87s; that would cover everything else I tend to look for.

This asst branch mgr then proceeded to take handful after handful of halves out of the bag and on to a surface next to the coin counter and look at each half dollar; per my instructions. As she found a few, she would bring them over to me at a closed teller window and exchange me those half dollars with my rejects.

After an hour (I still can't believe she was doing this) the Friday lunch crowd arrived, she apologized and said she would have to continue this later; and possibly into Monday (they were closed on Saturday). By this time she had already found over twenty 40%ers and a 51P !

She also asked if I wanted any of the foreign coins she might find; as they just throw them away. I said yes.

I gave her my name and number and she said she would call me when she was finished

Fast forward to Monday.

I stop in (bringing a Starbuck gift card for her) and the grand total for her searching is as follows:

Seven 90%ers (51p, 64px2 & 64dx4)
Twenty eight 40%ers (65x4, 66x4, 67x9, 68dx7, 69dx4)

..........and the foreign coins:

Costa Rican 50 colones ('99)
UK 50 pence ('82) and two pound coin ('97)
Australian 20 cent ('98)
Mexican one peso ('71 x3 & '75) and ten peso ('97 & '02)
Hungarian 50 forint ('95)

..........and a Belgium 1 franc (.835 silver) coin from 1867. (sorry, still not photo enabled....but here is a link to a photo of one on e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Belgium-franc-1867_W0QQitemZ260107902980QQihZ016QQcategoryZ45149QQcmdZViewItem

She also said she would continue to keep an eye out for me for more halves that "met my search criteria" and would call me.

That was one very, very nice bank employee, and given the bad posts many of them get on this forum; thought a good one was worth mentioning.

 

[ringding]

All of us complain about the grouchy tellers we sometimes meet. It is great to here this story. I think you should send the bank president a letter praising their friendly service. In the letter don't go into detail about the teller picking out halves or else the president may become interested in doing it himself. Or the president may tell them that the letter was nice, but they couldn't afford to pay tellers to pick through coins.

 

[MalteseFalcon]

My tellers at my branch are keeping their eyes open for stuff I might want.

I think sometime in the near future I am going to give them some gift cards for something....a couple of months ago I brought in a large bag of candy for them. They have certainly been nice to me.

 

[TxTim]

Extraordinary!
It doesn't get any better than that!

 

[Pennyworth]

That bank teller is a sweetheart! Congratulations on the silver and nice to know you brought her a treat as well.

 

[schramm]

The only way that story could be any better is if you had said you were not a member/customer and she STILL did it for you.Fantastic luck!And you didn't even have to buy the "bad" ones to have to dump somewhere else.

Are you a member/customer of this cu?

I wonder if all tellers start out nice and progressively get bitter and grow into the rude monsters I encounter most often?Nice job.

 

[hollowpointred]

thats awesome. i would buy her lunch.

 

[tw656]

Lets see how can I put this nicely. I think she has the hots for you.

 

[HobBob]

Wow! Does she have any twin sisters?

 

[fiatboy]

She may end up being your best find.

 

[GMan00001]

I have had a couple of occasions where I have had a similar experience.

In my case the tellers would just grab a handful of coins at a time and show me the edges. I would edge search them and point out the ones I wanted to trade for. Worked pretty well.

My CU is supposedly going to let me do that with their half bag when it fills up...I am hoping they remember before they send it in.

 

[ivan salis]

if your single and she is too ---give her the card and then offer to take her for lunch sometime (see if she wants to go) might be a new "best" find-you never know.. Ivan

 

[thurmownator]

The only way that story could be any better is if you had said you were not a member/customer and she STILL did it for you.Fantastic luck!And you didn't even have to buy the "bad" ones to have to dump somewhere else.

Are you a member/customer of this cu?

I wonder if all tellers start out nice and progressively get bitter and grow into the rude monsters I encounter most often?Nice job.

I'm not a member of that CU, never indicated that I was, but some of her comments indicated she thought I was. I was above board, and when she asked for my name (first and last) and daytime phone, I didn't hesitate. If she wants to check to see if I am a member, she can easily do that.

I'm hoping she calls again (obviously), and regarding the other post; I'm happily married and don't know her status.

 

[ivan salis]

oh well in that case just like the wife know what a nice teller she is ---just in cause she does call---because with women the best surprize is no surprize. as a married man myself --keep the missus happy and the world is right.