What's wrong with the banks?

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Hi,

I was at my local bank today and as always, I asked the teller if she had any old currency in the drawers.  Usually, there are a couple of ones, twos, or if I'm lucky, a large bill.  Anyway, to make a long story short, she pulled out 2 1954 $100, a $50 from the same year, about 10 1979 $5 and a whole pile of ones.

 I thought this was my lucky day and I happily offered up the cash to exchange.  To my dismay, as we were completing the transaction, the head teller came over and instructed this young woman to take back all the old bills because they had been marked for destruction.  Despite my explanation that I was a collector of paper money, the head teller would not budge and as a result some potentially valuable bills have been lost.

I am, quite frankly, growing annoyed with the chartered banks and their increasing level of "by the book" behaviour and hands-off attitude towards customer service.  CIBC..."Imperial Service" seems more like a Royal pain in the rear.

There was a time not so long ago when I could walk into that very same branch and the tellers would happily search through the tills for me.  In fact, one of them actually started collecting himself!  I got started in the hobby this way...I guess banks have changed, for the worse.

I wonder if there are any places in Toronto who would still be willing to do such things for collectors.  It seems that in the big cities, people just don't care.

cheers,
Dean.

Unfortunately, the banks have rules which they adhere to with some discretion. Once a note is scheduled to be returned, it is too late to get it.

Rick

 Your head teller was just narrow-minded, if you want my opinion. The head teller does not remove bills from circulation in all the banks I know, only main branch or regional main branch did it. Those bills could not be marked for destruction if the teller took them from the vault for you. It is done at another level "it is administration". Usually it is the bank attendant (the person who write down serial numbers before putting valuable in the vault that does this job) If those bills are sealed to be destroyed, be sure, the teller would not open the sealed bag for you, first because he cannot access this level and second he does not have access to. You cannot imagine sometimes how it tears the heart to send those bills to the Paper Bills Cemetery for a paper money collector.  

Similar thing happened to me.
You just have to bite your lip and be thankful for all the previous stuff you have gooten I guess.
You know darn well that if it was maybe a 7 year old asking for a $1, they would not have a problem giving it to him/her.  THAT is the discretion that I have witnessed.

Similarily, the old Journey $10s: I have been told only by ONE location of a bank that they could not give them out if asked.

But really, the banks don't have to do anything like this for you if they do not want to.  (Close minded head teller- or one that simply hates collectors- I have seen one of those too).

I have one simple rule, and the tellers seem to appreciate it, and that is:
Never ask them to look through their notes for specific things, ie: prefix series.  If it is set aside already, then get it.  Just like the Jouney $10s: Just take them all instead of asking them to look for the BEL, or BER or whatever.  
As a teller (and I know there are a few bank employees out here), we know ther is alot of work behind the scenes that we need to do.  Many people do not understand the full scope of the job.  (Especially if you work in a ver busy branch).  I work in an incredibally busy branch and there is  really no time for this at all sometimes.  
BUT if a collector ever came in and asked for anything, I would never refuse:)
I am one of the tellers that puts aside the Terry Fox Loonies, the Silver Dollars, etc so I can give them to parents with young kids on their arm.

But some places, it is just downright impossible to have them do anything like that.

I agree with Hudson's summary. I believe the situation described was simply either bad timing or an individual deciding to exercise "supervisory" authority at the expense of "customer service" as the explanation offered to deny the request just doesn't "hold water".

Most banks/branches will accomodate requests but it can be a matter of timing. A busy time of the month or peak traffic times is usually not the time to ask.

Visiting your local branch at regular intervals on quiet traffic days and seeing the same Tellers should  provide the best opportunity. The more familiar the Teller is with you and your request(s) the better.

Just my 2 cents.

;)eastguy