The Smile Behind The Mask -A Tellers Perspective
“Revolt against banking as usual!” What the heck even is banking as usual these days?
If you had walked into Volt even just one year ago, you would have been greeted with smiles all around and a cozy coffee bar. Now it seems like all you see are face coverings everywhere you look, even in our lobbies.
While even us “revolters” have to conform to the new norm, rest assured that we are still smiling behind the masks.
My name is Maggie. My situation is unique; while many people have unfortunately lost their jobs due to the Covid-19, I found mine because of it.
I was actually hired as a temporary greeter on June 1st, 2020, the first day Volt reopened its doors to the public after the outbreak. My job was a simple one – check members in and ask them to put on hand sanitizer. Two weeks later, I was officially hired as a full-time teller. Now, all of us together share the responsibility of keeping our lobbies, and therefore our members safe
I’ve seen many changes in only two and a half months, greatest of all being the city-wide mask ordinance that began July 13th. The global pandemic and all the changes that came with it seemed to throw most people into panic – or at least confusion. Volt was no exception. Our leaders were now faced with many difficult decisions. ‘What does this mean for us? Should our lobbies stay open? If so, how many of our members can be inside at once? How should we respond if we face resistance to mask policies?’ Their greatest concern and biggest deciding factor was (and still is) your safety.
Our lobbies are staying open. But with several differences. Gone is the waiting area, the chairs, the coffee station, the sodas. We now have partitions to block physical contact between ourselves and our members. And of course, masks. All day, every day. Who knew that financial institutions would ever encourage you to walk inside with a mask on?!
In this transition, I’ve encountered a few situations that have stirred my emotions. A few of our members have come to cash in their retirement funds early. I’ve heard a few explanations such as: “The world may not even be here by the time I’m ready to retire.”
Some have turned their fears into frustration and even misplaced anger directed towards us when we ask them to put on a mask or use hand sanitizer.
Those of us at the front lines here at Volt really appreciate our valued members remembering that, while we must enforce regulations such as masking up and social distancing, they were not our rules to make.
We pride ourselves in being honest and trustworthy enough to protect your finances and your future. We want to be consistent in our dependability by following all necessary regulations. But most importantly, your safety is our priority. You are the reason that we are here. You are our most valued asset. Our desire is to keep you protected.
So the next time you visit us here at Volt, please remember that we are in this together. Behind our masks, we have many of the same fears and concerns that you have, and while the masks may hide those concerns, it can’t hide our smiles! We started this together, and we’ll get through it together.
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding and please stay safe.
–Maggie McKeegan
Universal Agent 1
Volt Credit Union
Maggie great to have you as part of Volt team. Great job.
This is an amazing article! You should be a writer!
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Maggie! Congratulations on the new position and welcome to the #CUfamily! This year has had many unexpected ups and downs, but we are amazed by how credit unions have taken all the changes in stride. Even though we can’t come together physically, we feel fortunate to be able to connect with the greater #creditunion community on platforms such as these! So keep the articles coming! We look forward to reading the next one.