A guide to conversations you might have at the bank

Visiting the bank can seem intimidating if you’ve not been there much. Maybe you feel like you need to be fluent in bank jargon to get the services you need, or maybe you just aren’t sure what to ask for. Well, we can assure you that the bank staff is here to help make the experience as easy and carefree as possible! Your friends at UBT have put together some sample scripts for frequent banking scenarios in hopes that having some guiding verbiage could be useful the next time you visit your neighborhood bank. Together, we’ll walk through transferring money, making a deposit, opening a new account, and a few other commonplace banking situations.

 

Checking your account balance

You: Hi! Can you help me check my account balance?

Teller: Sure! I’d be happy to help you with that. Please provide me with your account number or debit card, and since I’m not familiar with you, let’s have a look at your ID in order to protect your account.

You: My account number is XXXXXX, and here is my ID.

Teller: Thank you. I’ll write your account balance down for you. Is there anything else I can do for you today?

 

Transferring funds

You: Hello, I’d like to transfer $100 from my savings account to my checking account, please.

Teller: I'd be happy to help you with that. May I have the account number of the account you’re transferring from?

You: I don’t know my savings account number, but here’s my debit card, and here’s my ID.

Teller: Great, thanks. And which account are you transferring into?

You: My checking account, please. (Note: If you have more than one account, the teller will likely ask some more questions to make certain your transfer is made the way you intend.)

Teller: Thank you. I’ve made the transfer of $100 from your savings account to your checking account and will print a receipt with an updated balance. Is there anything else I can do for you today?

You: No, thank you! / Yes please. (If yes, simply move on to the next item of business.)

 

Depositing a check

If you have a physical check that you need to deposit, you can do so by using UBTgo’s mobile deposit feature, or you can go into a branch or use the drive-thru. If you go to a branch, you can endorse the back of the check while you’re at the bank (to reduce the chances of it falling into the wrong hands). After that, the conversation should go something like this:

Teller: Good morning! How may I assist you today?

You: I’d like to deposit this check into my checking account, please.

Teller: Of course. And what is your account number, please?

You: Here’s the check. I don’t know my account number. May I give you my debit card and you can look it up?

Teller: Sure. Your debit card works just great! Would you like any cash back from this deposit?

You: No thank you, I’d like to deposit the full amount.

Teller: Sure thing! Here’s your receipt, and an updated balance. May I do anything else for you today?

You: No thanks, you’ve been great. Have a good day!

Teller: You, too. See you next time!

 

Opening an account

Teller: Good afternoon! How can we help you today?

You: I’d like to open a checking (and/or savings) account(s), please.

Teller: That's great, thank you for coming to UBT! Please have a seat in the lobby, and a banker will be right with you.

Banker: Hello! My name is _______, and I’ll be helping you today. Would you like to come with me?

You: Yes, thanks. I’d like to open an account. I was looking at your accounts online and was thinking about a _______ account. (Note: You can also ask the banker to tell you about or show you the different checking accounts. They may ask you some questions about how you intend to use your account to help you make the best choice.)

Banker: To get started, I’ll need some basic information from you, and I’ll need your driver’s license please. Once we get your account opened, I’ll have you sign some paperwork, and I’ll take your opening deposit up to the teller line for you and bring back your receipt. I'll also give you the information you’ll need to set up UBTgo, our online and mobile banking app. Are you ready to begin?

You: Yes, let’s get started. (Note: You may have some additional questions before starting; if so, feel free to ask, and know you can ask throughout the account process, as well.)

 

Taking out a loan

You: Hi, I’m interested in taking out a personal loan/auto loan. Can you please direct me to a banker?

Teller: sure, have a seat in the lobby, please, and someone will be right with you.

(You may have a seat in the lobby for a bit until a banker is available.)

Banker: Hi, thanks for coming in to UBT! I hear you’d like to apply for a loan today? I can help you with that. Please follow me into my office.

You: Great, thank you.

Banker: How are you doing today? My name is ______. Would you like to tell me a bit about what you’d like to do today?

You: I found a car I’d like to buy, and I need an auto loan. (Note: Here you might say “I need to consolidate some debt and need a personal loan” or whatever your purpose for borrowing is. That will help the banker determine the type of loan you need, and they can ask some follow-up questions.)

Banker: OK then, let’s get started on the application. I need to ask you a few questions about your employment, income, and financial history, and we’ll need to run a credit check. (Note: If you’re applying for a car loan, your banker will ask you about the vehicle you’re buying, and if you’re looking to consolidate debt, they’ll ask you about any property you may be using as collateral.)

You: That sounds good, thanks. (Note: Here the banker will take your loan application, and they will either have you wait for the results or they’ll make arrangements to call you with the loan results.)

 

These are just a few examples of the basic banking tasks that can take place at the bank. We’re hoping that these sample scripts will provide a bit of a confidence booster, if you need it, and can make your banking experience even more convenient. Please remember that your branch lobby or drive-thru team is always here to help — they had to learn bank speak, too! No one is going to judge if you call an account or balance the “wrong” thing; they’re there to help you figure out just the right thing for you. Stop into your nearest UBT branch to get started on your banking today!

One last quick tip: A lot of the above tasks are things you can accomplish using the UBTgo mobile app, like depositing a check, transferring money from one account to another, or even opening a new checking or savings account. Whether you prefer in-person or online, rest assured that we have friendly staff and a full-featured app to help you with your banking needs, at any comfort level.