I went into our Bank a few weeks ago and the staff were so scruffy and not wearing uniforms that I just assumed it was one of those special charity or mufti days. i was in there again today and the two women working on the desks looked dreadful. One had a big grubby grey fleece top with her hair hanging all over the place. When she spoke I could see a big stud in her tongue. She had to come out to help with a problem and she was wearing old casual trousers and scruffy trainers. the other woman’s hair was all over the place and she was wearing a very tatty old striped knitted sweater. Even my husband remarked on how unprofessional they looked. When did they do away with a smart top and navy trousers or skirt?
OMG I feel like my Mum. She used to say how scruffy postmen are now.She remembered when postmen wore navy uniforms with a red trim and a peaked cap and wore polished shoes. She couldn’t get used to seeing them in cargo pants, old trainers and baggy fleeces.
I’m in the same industry and we’ve eased up on the dress code for the banking staff in the branches.
In fact, it’s very relaxed - smart casual is acceptable but not for all clients.
Our higher net-worth clients prefer more traditional looking banking professionals.
Personally, I’m always dressed extremely corporate when I’m in the office unless it’s a casual Friday (charity event) - then I’m very casual. If I am just popping into the office then I’m relaxed with my dress style but never wear trainers.
Personal hygiene is always encouraged here. Sorry for your experience. I hope they assisted you with your banking requirements.
You were lucky to find a branch to actually visit!! They keep closing down one’s anywhere that’s convenient yo us, and the next nearest ones have very limited parking near to them (and none of these are free parking).
I was a postman for a while in London decades ago and we were issued a very smart uniform as well as wet weather gear. Personally If an employer issues clothing I can’t see the point of not wearing it. My last, nearly, 30 years of working life was spent in either a fawn or orange cotton boiler suit (like US prison garb) and woollen socks (the latter don’t burn). It probably wasn’t smart because it was inevitably stained with coal, dust and oil.
Yep, Postmen were issued two basic uniforms, one light grey for summer and a darker jacket and trousers for the rest of the year.
The line managers (guvnors) were often ex forces.
You certainly didn’t answer back.
I spent some time in Paddington D.O.
Happy memories!
Did you ever come across Alan Johnson who was a postman and worked his way up in politics (Labour) and then became Home Secretary. He has written about 4 memoirs and they are a really good read.
Thanks. they weren’t very helpful sadly. The cash machine outside robbed me of £70 cash and they said they had no access to it. i then had to phone the bank and that phone call took a good half hour. i am supposed to be getting credited but I won’t hold my breath. Instead of coming out in a neat pile the notes all came out at different angles and some got stuck in the machine and as I tried to grab the corners of the notes they shot back in.
Banks do tend to keep records of how much money should be in the machine. If there is an anomaly which matches with your claim, then you’ve got an excellent chance of being re-credited. Don’t know why there’s been a delay, unless there were several other people who had a similar experience and it’s taking a bit more time to get the figures to match up.
Sorry I don’t remember any names at all, it was over 45 years ago but I made couple of friends there, one was an ex pat like me saving up to get back except he was from Canada. Our gov was always getting on to us for talking as we sorted and he kept checking our frames but actually we were all pretty fast and accurate, he just didn’t like us chatting as we worked for some reason.
It was an odd place in some ways, it had a licensed bar to stop the postmen going to the pubs, so it was nice to have a drink at lunch time while you ate your meal without having to leave the building. At the time I smoked but no smoking was allowed in the sorting office for obvious reasons so every break was a rush to get to a smoking area for a quick fag.
Yes, I remember the dress code of bank staff when I first joined as a member of a major High Street Bank in London in the early 1970’s.
We were given a booklet illustrating what was the “correct dress code” - men had to wear suits and ties (and were not allowed to take off their suit jackets even in Summer, unless the Top Brass decreed a “jackets off” policy during a severe heatwave ) and women had to wear boring smart “pencil skirts”, “demure”, high necked blouses and jackets - unless you had religious reasons to wear more attractive alternative clothing, such as tunics and trousers, saris, salwar chemise etc
I spent 40 years wearing the “banking uniform” but dress codes were relaxed over the years and in the later years of my career, I found the youngsters I worked alongside were just as good at their jobs as I was, even though they loosened their ties and ditched their jackets or wore mini skirts with flat-heeled boots and fashionable clothes.
It taught me not to judge a book by its cover - I guess the oldies when I was young disapproved of the way my generation dressed, just as my generation disapproves of the way the younger generation dress.
I don’t care how anyone dresses, as long as they can do their job, of course in some professions, like a surgeon/ nurse,etc, they need to be well scrubbed up.
I have always tried, never to judge a book by it’s cover…of course I’ve probably failed many times, but, that’s us humans for you!!..
Hi rosered I’ve read his book the boy , its his life story from a kid eyes growing up , I cried through it , how his poor mum struggled and he had to care for his brother.
An amazing book to read . I emailed him when I read it , it had touched me so deeply .
So if they don’t have access to the machines who comes round and replenishes them? I remember about 10 years ago I used the same cashpoint and my cash came out but £20 short. i went straight in the Bank, told the cashier and she just gave me £20 back.
