Banking Is The Second Oldest Profession.

In the late 1990s the banks were going through a relentless drive to centralise, to set up centres for processing anything that moved. The UK staff of one major Bank was reduced in number from some 86000 to around 35000 in the space of three to four years. That was remarkable. It meant that anyone who fancied to go was given a package and it didn’t matter who they were, or what experience they had.

It was all right for a while. Those left on the front line in the branches knew what was going on anyway. Any cracks in the presentation to the public were covered very often. Then as new people came along they had to be trained in a different way. Now the centres could no longer rely on the front line staff covering for them. The branch staff no longer knew what they did. The masters became the slaves in the operations. What started out as services to the front line became the system that everyone had to follow.

Branches were closed as no longer being economic to operate and sold off for wine bars. What happens now is that the branch staff who everyone still thinks of as their bank, their manager etc have a retail position only and no discretion or power. They have no need for qualifications any more . The old idea of a Banker being in a profession has gone. The Chartered Institute of Bankers is hanging on as another trading name for the Financial Services Institute.

An business can approach their Bank. If you want to do so with all the ticks on the list in the right order or you want to fight your way through the banking hoops in some other way have a word with Bob Shepherd Associates who have the experience and the contacts to help you.