It seems we are seeing increasing incidents of customers harassing employees (I guess everyone feels bank employees are easy targets these days). Usually the harasser is male. When the harassment borders on sexual, I am having a male Branch Manager or President call the customer to tell them to, in effect, "knock it off". If they still do not get it, we will close their account and involve police if further contact occurs with branch staff. Any other thoughts on how to handle these sticky situations?

Just make sure that you document the steps you take - notes on times and dates of discussions with the customers and when accounts are closed. I have also had to do this on more than one occasion. Usually (depending on the severity) I don't give them the knock it off talk they are just out of here. I also talk with the police about what has occurred to lay the groundwork if something would escalate.

Toss them out firs ask questions later.

Harassing customer can destroy the staff.

In a previous Bank the prior management let the customers run wild and ofcourse the staff was a nightmare (who could blame them being abused daily. The staff became managable after I tossed the first 5. Many more followed.

Lets not forget the ability of the staff to file a lawsuit naming the bank for allowing that behavior.

Whatever you do. Dont forget.
Document Document Document

About 6 months ago, I had a customer who threw an absolute fit because I wanted to place a hold on his check, this was a long standing customer who is friends with our regional president, told me that he never had any problems except with me (which just told me I was doing my job :)) and that anything I did he could get overridden, and he didn't want me waiting on him anymore. That's just the nice things he said... I called my supervisor at home that night and told her what happened in case he complained about me.

He recieved a phone call from his friend the regional president and while I'm not sure what was said, this customer has been a ray of sunshine ever since.

The point of this story is that it made me feel very good that my employer cared enough to back me up and admonish this customer for his behavior, even though it could have risked the account. So simply from an employee standpoint, it's much better for morale to stand up for your employee- colorado, it soundds like you are on the right track.

In the case of inappropriate sexual comments, typically from a male customer towards a female teller, is there anything wrong with asking the tellers if they told the customer not to talk to them that way? Seems to me a lot of innocent flirting that some tellers participate in starts to get out of hand as the comments become more graphic in nature. The comments might stop if the customer (or disgusting pig) is told directly tp "stop talking to me that way."

Inappropriate comments are wrong no matter what the teller say or not. Our employees do not have to take [censored] from customers for any reason. How do you define innocent flirting? Being pleasant to the customer? Isn't this what they are paid to do?
And even if there were "innocent flirting" what right does thecustomer have to make inappropriate comments?

Spoken like the father of daughters?????

Ask them to stop. If not, close the account and ask them not to return. Document Document Document. I prefer asking one of our bigger male officers to relay the message to the customer. Seems to be sooo much more effective.

As it relates to abuse and throwing out a bank president's name, I had a CEO once tell me "if she has to throw out my name to try and get what she wants, she obviously thinks she can't get it on her own for a reason." He really didn't want his name thrown in for special treatment.

Personally, and depending on the abuse, I think a warning is in order for the first time. I can only remember once that a customer was so loud and abusive, and wasn't responding to "calm down" requests that I asked him to leave and to wait for the check closing his account. Stress, bad days, we all have them. That is a reason, not an excuse. But it is also a fact.

(BTW, if I've offended any of you, I apologize.)

I'm digging this one back up because of a similar situation. Long story less long: customer was verbally abusive to the point that police were called to escort them from the property. Account was closed. Customer is now harrassing staff, wanting to know why we will not open a new account and is making noises about submitting a loan application. Any advice on how to (legally) tell this person to permanently take a hike? What we would like to do is inform them that they are no longer welcome on bank property.

Talk to counsel about obtaining a restraining order that puts the bank's building and land (and if you can a buffer distance of 100 feet or more) off limits. If that's not feasible, ask counsel about a "no trespass" order.

I think you say exactly what you typed, RR Becca, that he is no longer welcome on bank property, and you'll call the police back if he doesn't cooperate. And then follow through if he doesn't.

Thanks! I knew I could count on BOL for good second opinions.

One additional suggestion: after I've closed the account I always offer the employee the option of transferring to another location. The last thing you want is for an employee to run into an irate or overly amorous former client in the parking lot.