to think it would have been more efficient if this cashier had broken the rules

[someonestolemynick]

I have a self-service current account that comes with a higher interest rate than an account with human interaction.
Today I went into their branches to pay in some cash. There was a slight queue for the machines but no queue at the counter with a staff member free. It didn't look like he was carrying out another task. I went up to him and asked, very nicely, if he could pay the money in for me.
He replied, very nicely: "Sorry,it's a self-service account. You need to use the machine.'
Fair enough, I got back in the queue and paid my money in at the machine.
I know they HAVE the facilities because I have used the counter in similar situations (in some instances I was told by a staff member to use the counter as it would be quicker.
In our scenario the cashier would have shortened the queue for the machines and created a positive customer service experience and I can't really see a downside to serving me at the counter. Aibu to think that sometimes it improves everyone's day to go against The Rules? Just to clarify: I'm not fuming, livid or upset - just interested to see what other's think.

Obviously, this particular branch may have a very firm instruction from management to not serve customers with my account type over the counter.

YANBU. This pisses me off too. One of the reasons I usually use online banking.

I fucking hate 'self serve.' In the supermarkets and stores it drives me nuts, because the stupid self serve tills often screw up. 'Assistance needed!'

A while back, I needed an assistant to come and verify I was over 18, because I was buying a packet of HALLS mentholyptus.

I shit you not.

Maybe he was a new member of staff and therefore not as confident about bending the rules as another member of staff? He was polite and he was also correct about your terms and conditions so he's done nothing wrong although YWNBU to ask.

More and more banks are going this way. Wanting everyone to use self service. I don't like it.

Partly as sometimes you just want to speak to a person and partly because it is putting people out of jobs. Although I did have a conversation with a bank person who seemed brain washed and she told me she didn't care about her job but rather what was better for the customer - despite me being a customer and not liking the self serve option!

Yeah but OP chose the self service account presumably because of the higher interest rate- not the same as supermarkets etc trying to coerce us into using the godawful machines.

YWNBU to ask, they weren't unreasonable to refuse

My "problem" is not with self-service: I chose this account, as plantpot points out, because it came with a number of perks.
And am also aware that The cashier was absolutely within his rights to send me back to the machine.
It's more about the benefits of rules, whether they should be rigid or a guideline and what was being achieved by the rules being upheld in this instance.

There may have been a reason for it.... not policy based, but procedural

There often is!

YANBU.

In my local branch they always try to reduce any queue as quick as possible; so helping people queuing for cashiers to use machines and sending depositors to the cashier if they are free instead of queuing for the safe at night and that sort of thing.

Seems to work well, and as you say, lends itself to a positive customer experience.

Shame they are closing the yet another branch in September

YANBU the focus should be serving customers as well and as quickly as possible.

Probably a new one! I've done customer-facing work and they taught us to do it "right" - i.e, sticking to the exact lettering of the rules - until we were comfortable with the role.

Then they told us all the cheeky little shortcuts and rule-bends.

I think the cashier was quite right. You are getting a higher interest rate because it's self-service. That's quite fair I think. You can't have it both ways.

YABU. If I accept a lower interest rate to get a human service, why should you get to have your cake and eat it?

"what was being achieved by the rules being upheld in this instance"

Well, the cashier got to enjoy 5 minutes peace for starters ;-).

It's annoying for you, but you can't have your cake and eat it. Perhaps he thought you were cheeky to ask?

It's probably easier for them to have a blanket policy on not serving self-service customers.

Meh. You chose the account. You put up with the rules surely not expect special exemptions.

Personally I'd love to avoid the upselling. Especially " oooh you have £x in your account you could have a gold plated account with diamond extras " ODFO , I know it's your job but I'm not an old duck who doesn't know about your " offers" and if you looked you'd know I downgraded the account ( huge hassle) because I was paying for and not using the extras!

"what was being achieved by the rules being upheld in this instance"

it upholds the benefits of the account with the restrictions, otherwise overtime there is a queue the self service accounts will be using the staffed tills.

Problem is that, from experience of customers, a lot of people if he'd served you this time would then get stroppy the next time "because you did it last time".

It seems to be that if someone gets away with something they shouldn't, rather than thinking "weren't they kind" they get very indignant the next time if you don't bend the rules again.

I think some banks / building socs are better at this than this than others.
I have found Lloyds to be fairly common sense and accommodating ( I have poa on my mums, my kids and my accounts with them),
Barclays where I am a trustee of a charity account is quite ridiculous and if it was easier to change charity accounts (believe me it's like negotiating brexit) we would leave them.

To me that's like buying an off-peak train ticket and demanding to travel at a peak time. It's a self service account. The higher interest rate is your reward for not taking up staff members' time in the branches.

And I second the notion that if he lets you (or others) do it once the expectation is there that they will always let you do it. There's nothing worse than facing a customer who demands something they shouldn't have had because "the other woman gave me it last time."

I do see your point.
However you get the higher interest rate because you don't use a cashier.
It is of no benefit to the bank of the cashier if you get through faster. They don't miss out on anything because you have to queue.

Why did you queue in the first place? It's a self-serve account so your first point of call should be the machine. If there's a problem you can ask for help, but you shouldn't have expected a higher level of service right from the outset.

It might have been brought up in his performance review, had he bent the rules. If this bank is looking for excuses to get rid of staff without paying out redundancy, he'd be giving them an opportunity to put him on a performance plan and eventually manage him out.

Sometimes jobsworths are jobsworths for a reason.

It might have been brought up in his performance review, had he bent the rules.

Then their KPIs are... interesting...

Personally I prefer to use a bank (or supermarket) where they want to keep the customers moving through, so would have sent someone to that queue to ask for cheque deposits, or send some people to the cashier just to get people in and out quick.

Mind you, banks can have some crazy rules, I once had a Barclaycard and a Barclays account. The selling point was that I could go in the same day the bill is due, and pay the barclaycard over the counter - but I couldn't do that by bank transfer at the counter - I had to withdraw cash from my account then give it back to deposit it in my barclaycard account. I tried to suggest that perhaps the rigmarole was ridiculous, and it would be a lot quicker to not be taking money out of their draw only to give it straight back, but no. That was the way it had to be done.

YABU. You shouldn't have chosen the product if you don't like the rules attached to them, though I do see your common sense argument.

Thing that annoys me is people that shop online, bank via internet yet moan that high streets aren't what they used to be. You pays your money, you take your choice.

With full employment in the UK and "the people" having voted to limit immigration, we are all going to have to get used to self service. No people means more robots.

I'd like to say this again: I did not expect him to do anything.
I queued up for the machine, noticed the cashier was free and thought there was no harm in asking. When he said no I thanked him and got back in the queue.
I certainly didn't make a fuss or demanded star treatment.
I take the point that it would be unfair on customers who are on lower interest for personal service.
SaucyJack I had to snort at your post; all in favour of 5 minutes peace.