Bank Teller Skills: Definition and Examples

Bank teller skills are the basic abilities these professionals need to handle money and deliver exceptional customer service. Bank tellers are vital to a bank’s operations and often the only employees customers have regular contact with. Thus, they set much of the tone for a customer’s overall banking experience. Generally, tellers only a high school diploma and a month of on-site training to work in this role, and bank teller jobs can serve as entry points into the finance industry.

A bank teller job is multifaceted, and tellers regularly call on multiple skill sets to perform their daily tasks. They need traditional client-facing skills to deliver customer service, for example, and basic math skills to handle and exchange money. The following are examples of common skills bank tellers possess:

Cash handling

Cash handling is a skill that’s central to a bank teller’s role. Luckily, it’s one you can easily acquire in a variety of other positions, including cashier, waiter, or sales associate. Examples of cash handling skills include:

• Attention to detail: When it comes to handling cash, everything from verifying a customer’s identity to balancing the drawer at the end of each day requires a teller to remain focused on the details. Where money is involved, mistakes can be costly.
• Mathematical skills: Bank tellers should be able to do basic math quickly, especially when conducting cash transactions and solving cash handling problems. Bank tellers need precise math skills to ensure their transactional accuracy.
• Knowledge of financial principles and practices: It’s essential that a bank teller knows proper procedures for documenting cash and checks, endorsing checks, and investigating cash discrepancies.
• Loan processing: A bank teller is often responsible for processing large loan payments and referring customers to representatives for loans and products.
• Ledger balancing: Ledger balancing happens at the end of each business day and involves calculating all deposits and withdrawals. While most transactions are recorded electronically, tellers still need to know what the numbers should look like, so they can recognize any potential issues.

Customer service

Bank tellers interact directly with bank clients and are often the only human contact a customer has during a visit. When customers experience great service from tellers, it can translate into increased business. Examples of essential customer service skills for a bank teller include:

• Honesty: Honesty is a valuable trait no matter what field you’re in, but when it comes to handling customers’ money, building trust and loyalty is more important than ever.
• Conflict resolution: Issues can arise when dealing with customers, so it’s important that a bank teller has the skills to problem-solve and de-escalate urgent situations that require discretion.
• Written and verbal communication: In addition to listening to customers and sharing information with them, a bank teller needs customer-service-specific communication skills such as speaking in a friendly and consistent tone, using positive language, communicating clearly, and maintaining the bank’s brand voice.

Technological

Bank tellers must understand the operations of complex computer systems in the workplace. Thus, strong working knowledge of core computer programs and/or a proficiency for working with and learning new technology are essential. Examples of technological skills a bank teller should have include typing, Microsoft Office proficiency, teller software experience, and data entry.

Multitasking

Bank tellers often find themselves providing multiple services (processing credit card payments while making a savings deposit and a checking account withdrawal, for example) within a single customer visit. The ability to focus on numerous processes, be accurate, and remain positive is integral.

Learn more: Bank Teller Overview 

We all have different learning styles and personal work habits, which means each bank teller has to learn how to be most efficient at their job. That said, general methods for improving bank teller skills on the job include:

1. Staying organized. Being organized means having the ability to quickly and easily access the items you use most frequently on the job. Organize your station at the beginning of each shift so you know where key items are located. Restock things you’re running low on so you don’t waste time hunting them down when you’re busy.
2. Staying focused. While multitasking is a valuable skill, efficiently managing your time — focusing on one task at a time, when possible — can help you avoid dividing your attention and making mistakes.
3. Teamwork. To be a successful bank teller, you must be comfortable asking for help if you need it. It can be beneficial for a colleague to step in if you have a question or are feeling overwhelmed. Conversely, stepping in to help a teammate who’s having trouble can improve efficiency and boost morale.
4. Being attentive. When interacting with customers, ask them exactly which services they need. Then ask any follow-up questions that might help you assist them expediently. Practice active listening — ask questions, pay attention, and repeat answers to make sure you’re communicating clearly.
5. Continuing to learn. Being a successful bank teller entails learning as much as you can about the institution you work for — products, services, protocols, etc. — and making sure you have access to learning and reference materials, so you can find information you haven’t locked into memory.

The easiest way to sharpen your bank teller skills is to practice using them each day in the workplace through:

• Effective time management: Multitasking is a skill central to a bank teller job, and the key to efficiently handling multiple tasks at once is time management. Turn your workspace into a distraction-free environment, and make sure you know where things are so you don’t waste time searching for them. Schedule important daily tasks, and categorize them if it helps you prioritize.
• Conscious customer service: It’s easy to deliver excellent customer service when customers are satisfied and friendly. However, when a customer is upset, it can take conscious effort to keep things from spiraling. The more you practice techniques such as active listening, remaining calm, and not taking things personally, the more natural your customer service skills will become.
• Training: When it comes to technology such as computer systems, teaching someone else how to navigate them will hone your skills as well. Offer to help familiarize a new hire with procedures and teller software.

You can highlight your skills as a bank teller on your resume and cover letter or during a job interview. Showcasing skills specific to a bank teller role illustrates how you’d be an asset to the company and a good fit for the position you’re applying for.

Learn more: Discover companies hiring by location, job title, and industry

Bank teller skills for resume

When highlighting bank teller skills on a resume, most people choose to include a section that lists each skill individually. Briefly mention details about each skill when you can, and use keywords specific to a company’s job description to stand out from other applicants. Below is an example of bank teller skills listed on a resume:

Technical skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Access, and the latest version of NuPoint teller software

Cash handling skills: Adept and experienced in receiving and processing banking transactions of any size and cash drawer maintenance

Bank teller skills for cover letter

Your cover letter is often the first thing a potential employer sees or reads and is an opportunity to immediately set yourself apart from other applicants for a bank teller position. Choose one or two of your most relevant skills to the listed job description, and elaborate on them to show you’re a good fit for the company. Bank teller skills in a cover letter might look include:

At my last job as a bank teller, I accurately processed an average of between 25 and 30 customer transactions per hour. My team and I also had a successful record of generating leads and cross-selling services to exceed sales goals each month I was employed there. Although I love the banking aspect of being a teller, I have a passion for providing excellent customer service and am fluent in Spanish and English so I can communicate effectively with the vast majority of Southern California’s diverse community.

Bank teller skills for the job interview

Highlight your skills during an interview by answering questions with brief examples of when and how you used a particular skill. Here’s an example of an interview question and answer that emphasize bank teller skills:

Example question: Are you comfortable handling large sums of money? 

Example answer: I have more than five years of teller experience that has required handling and processing of large sums of money. I’m a highly organized person, so I can handle high work volume as well. At my last teller job, I was often tasked with processing loan and mortgage payments. I also have experience detecting fraudulent checks and counterfeit cash. 

Use these bank teller skill examples and tips to improve your skills in the workplace and impress hiring managers.