Customers need trust in frontline bank staff more than ever

Customers need to trust frontline staff now more than ever, according to a new Professional Banking Fundamentals graduate.
 
Bendigo Bank’s Paul Vergara G-FIN shared his thoughts with InFinance after putting his experience in banking to the test and passing the course with a distinction in just a month.
 
But Paul says prospective students - and employers - should not be under any illusions about the rigours of the recently updated course is only for frontline staff. 
 
The PBF gives a thorough overview of the industry with the right mix of academic and practical learning that is vital to raising standards of professionalism, he says.
 
“Right now, customer expectations are higher than ever, and they are aligning themselves with organisations that they both trust and share values with and PBF gives you that level of professionalism,” said Paul. 
 
“Because of the increased expectations from customers, acting with integrity and authenticity is very important to them. This means they will get the best outcome”
 
“I draw on the PBF a lot because of the strong emphasis on ethics and professionalism. 
 
“It's had a tremendous impact. I feel more confident in the role that I play at the bank. And I guess it shows from the feedback and general reception I get from the customers.”
 
Self-starter Paul recalled how he heard about FINSIA and decided to go forward with the PBF after seeing the roll-out of qualifications in financial planning and seeing what was likely to happen as a result the Royal Commission.
 
“I was curious. Coming from that financial advice background, there was obviously a lot of educational reforms coming out of the Royal commission and I was curious what was happening with banking in that regard,” he said. 
 
“I kept tabs on FINSIA and noticed that there were a lot of courses being rolled out - for the PBF, the Certified Professional Banker and Chartered Banker by Experience.
 
“And this is something that I feel, down the track, is going to be enforced.”
 
Expanding on his thoughts about how ‘In-depth’ PBF is, Paul added: “The course provided a holistic albeit, abridged scope of banking.
 
“The content was very relevant to my current role. What I really liked about it is that it isn’t in a typical academic format. What you study and what you learn is practical.”
 
Being a frontline officer at his branch made the sections on products, services, credit and consumer lending the most straight forward for Paul. 
 
The chapter on ethics was, he says, the most comprehensive and relevant beyond banking.
 
“It's not something that's limited to just banking and financial services,” he said.
 
“It doesn't matter if they're in the financial services sector or if they're looking to enter. 
 
“I feel that education is paramount, especially for us in banking, in light of the Royal Commission.
 
“Financial planners are subject to education or professional standards set by FASEA. I personally see that education combined with a clear purpose and professional commitment is a way to drive the best possible outcomes for customers. 
 
Paul’s views echo those of Financial Services Union national assistant secretary Nathan Rees who said: “What we are after is a qualifications and skillset accreditation scheme that enables staff to move between banks that recognises their professionalism, experience and their qualifications.”
 
The Customer Relationship Officer who has been at Bendigo for a year and nine months commented: “Professionalism, integrity and a customer focus in banking has never been more important than it is today.”
 
Paul, who is a self-confessed collector, has had his PBF certificate specially mounted with gold leaf and is already proud to say he will be pursuing the Certified Professional Banker accreditation.
 
“It’s an achievement I’m proud of,” he said.