Bank workers worried about customer debt levels

The results from our Trans-Tasman bank workers survey show staff are uncomfortable about their customers’ ability to meet the financial obligations of the products they are made to sell them. Sixty-three percent reported their targets went up annually, and 77 percent said their employer did not reduce their targets when economic conditions were more difficult.
Finsec Campaigns Director Andrew Campbell told NZPA that there was a very practised and systematic approach to the selling of products which left no stone unturned.
“I’ve had a bank worker say to me that they were closing the accounts for someone who was deceased for the family, and the manager said to them afterwards ‘why did you not try to sell them life insurance? It’s a perfect time, a recent death in the family, to emphasise that product’.”
“We’re not saying ‘we want targets gone tomorrow’, we understand that will probably have to be systematic, but we think there can be a much fairer system that is not about pushing debt on to customers and stressing out staff in the process.”
Other survey results highlighted issues of understaffing in the industry. 63% of respondents think their worksite doesn’t have enough staff and 43% think customer service has got worse.

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