Does a bank assistant really need to know my employment status when requesting a postal bank statement ?

[Lardlizard]

So been in the bank this morning to request a postal statement as I want it for ID

Anyway she asked me if I’m still a homemaker?
I said well I’m doing voluntary work for a charity now but just keep it on there as homemaker incase of any changes

Then when she selected he time period to print off, so could obviously see my bank details, said oh you’ve got a lot of money for a home maker

Which was a bit cheeky and nosey

But really I can’t see why she asked what my employment status is just to post me a statement

Of course I could understand her asking that if I was apply for a mortgage or something

We don’t know exactly what was said, though. Based on the broad comment made by the OP we have various options:

A) Staff member makes a comment on customer’s wealth in an inept attempt to make conversation.

B) Staff member makes a snide comment about customer’s wealth because she is a stay-at-home parent.

C) Staff member asks about customer’s wealth because she is nosy.

D) Staff member asks about customer’s wealth because she thinks she ought to on the basis of AML requirements.

(Etcetera, etcetera; we could go through more options if we wished to.)

Whilst I suspect option A) is most likely on the basis of what we know, but the information that we do have is hardly sufficient to make any solid conclusion.

Lol at asking for paper bank statements being an AMLR red flag1!

John you're right one of those scenarios could be correct but it still wouldn't be appropriate in any of them.

Lol at asking for paper bank statements being an AMLR red flag1!

No, as it has been explained (multiple times) checking the customer’s occupation is the AML requirement, whilst speaking to the bank about paper statements was an opportunity for the question to be asked.

@twattymctwatterson

We only have op's version of events so who knows what was said or how it was said

@ny20005 well you've been defending the comment itself throughout the entire thread as though it's an acceptable way to approach a money laundering suspicion. If what op alleges was said is true then it definitely isn't. Obviously it's the nature of Mumsnet that we only have ops version of events.

John you're right one of those scenarios could be correct but it still wouldn't be appropriate in any of them.

Likely, but the level of inappropriateness varies. Saying the wrong thing when innocently trying to make conversation is bad. Actively making a snide comment is a lot worse. I’m not particularly inclined to defend the comment, but context does matter, at least a little.

@twattymctwatterson I've not defended the comment - although we have no idea what way it was said. I've defended the banks right to question & why

John agreed

oh! you’re doing well for yourself aren’t you!

The entire thread is about that comment.

It is the reason op posted in the first place...

@MenuPlant read the title of the thread ......

So you all still agree that saying to op

Oooh you've got a lot of money for a home maker

Ie what the whole thread is about

Is definitely AOK and appropriate

That's really interesting

Oh and by the way it is always valuable to read not just thread titles, but also rest of op and at least a few responses if you want to avoid looking like a total pratt. And even then it's best to put not rtft so people understand if you write a response that is cobblers.

I am interested that no one has addressed the point about saying to a woman, you've got a lot of money at the public counter could
A. Give info to people she knows in queue that she might not want them to have
Or
B. Someone dodgy could over hear

That bothers me I've got to say. When paying in / taking out large amount of cash you know people might see and can work around it. Having it said like that when you go in for something like change to paper ststements is off.

Also I was a bit confused as well as it seems rather obvious and could alert person that someone was taking notice, PP says that would count as tipping off, no response to that either.

For people who are obviously trying to defend a profession you are doing a shit job, that is to all who have said what this person did is fine and even good.

It has really reduced my confidence in high street bank people tbh which is probably unfair but it seems to be unanimous that ooh you've got a lot of money for a home maker is good, even though its not even a bloody question. Oh it's like columbo, looking for micro expressions and so on. Right.

Intrresting a few seem to be back pedalling now, which is even more worrying tbh.

The people who have made assumptions about women and money. That is awful too.

All in all, not a great impression.

Hands off my sweets wtf?

No one but no one has said the cashier was bitchy or sneering?

That's bizarre.

People who have expressed a thought on that hand said nosey or trying to sell something.

Where did you get such unpleasant words from? Why put such nasty terms? I'm at a loss.

Is that how you would feel if someone said that to you? That's interesting as no one else seems to have felt that way at all.

ny your first response to a woman who said she'd be really unhappy

'Smotheroffive if I worked in a branch & you were that cheeky to me asking questions that's part of my job, I might flag your account for a full investigation lol'

Yes very professional.

It was in response to this:

"Challenge it, and call it out.

My bank has no idea my personal details beyond address!

Her comments were rude and inappropriate not to say unprofessional.

If she felt, on seeing your account that something was off, then that should be a search conducted professionally with letter requesting info and notification of some sort of further info requirements.

Asking Jo bloggs at the counter what they do, and making off comments, isn't going to get to the bottom of anything.

Every cf seems to have to know the ins and outs of a DA now! Even energy companies, the dix"

I've read it twice and I can't see what smother said she would do that would make you think "cheeky!" and put a flag on her records (hahahahaha)

Just thought of something else

Customer's abusive partner / parents etc are nearby
Customer is saving quietly or has hidden savings

OOOH you've got a lot of money

...

Much more likely for a middle aged woman requesting something mundane than money laundering.

But the potential negative consequences have not been addressed at all

Loss of privacy (people know to customer in branch)
Potential risk from person she knows / or stranger who overhears
Tipping off if she is up to no good

This thread continues to baffle. And the more I think , the more I feel that those defending this situation are really putting the industry in a terrible light.

Forgive me for my ignorance, but what the fuck is a homemaker? A housewife?

Yes

My MIL preferred this title as she thought housewife sounded like she was married to a house :/

I think it's more common in USA but is used over here
Although the term house person / housewife / househusband is more common still

So of all the people on the thread, it's the one who has worked in this job who would interpret the cashier as being bitchy.

Literally no one else got that impressions.

You do because you know what the people behind the counter can be like...

Bitchy is a nasty gendered insult too. More sexism from those who say they have worked in or around this role.

I'm genuinely appalled by this TBH.

Laughing at people with crippling bank charges.

Jesus.

Well I imagine an awful lot of people have lost any remaining confidence they had in their high street banks, and their attitude to us as customers.