Excerpt: Backup

“Can I help you” the sweet young thing behind the open wicket asked with a smile. There were never any men at the bank anymore Kay noted. Where were they all? What year had they all disappeared from the branches to bigger and better jobs in upper management?
“I hope so. I’d like to cash a cheque.” She had been holding the cheque in her hand for the past ten minutes in line and was glad to be rid of it. She also had her driver’s license and heath card at the ready as she knew she would need to provide identification.
“Can I have your bank card?”
“You can but I don’t bank here.”
“That’s alright. We have any branch banking. “ The smile broadened.
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t use R- bank. I’m a S- bank customer, but it’s a R- Bank cheque,” Kay explained
“Oh I see.” The sweet young thing looked unapproving. The smile tightened.
“I have identification.” Kay set her cards on the counter.
Sweet young thing looked at the cards and looked at the cheque and then looked at Kay.
“We can cash the cheque but there will be a transaction charge of $5.00”
This was news to Kay. She had cashed cheques in this way before, and had only been asked for identification. “Why is that?” Kay looked at the name on sweet young thing’s tag.” Why is that , Cynthia?”
“We have a transaction charge for cashing cheques if you aren’t our customer.” Cynthia explained patiently as if Kay should have understood but she would explain again because she was a good teller and good tellers were always very good with difficult customers like Kay obviously was.
“But this is a cheque drawn on your bank, written by your customer. You have to honour your cheque. It’s in the Bank Act or something isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, we will honour the cheque - but I do have to charge you $5.00”
Kay kept her voice calm. “The cheque is for $75.00. If you charge me $5.00 and I walk out with $70 how is that honouring your cheque?”
“It’s a separate transaction.” Cynthia leaned forward convincingly. It might work with a man. Her pink silky shirt was open to the second button.
“No, it isn’t. Mr Dean who has written this cheque, is your customer. Presumably he pays you for chequing privileges. He has written me this cheque because he owes me $75 not $70.. Mr. Dean would have to give me $80 in order to pay me the $75 he owes me. How would Mr. Dean feel about that? But of course Mr. Dean didn’t give me a cheque for $80, he gave me a cheque for exactly what he owes me, which is $75 so now if I have to pay $5 then I would have to go back to Mr. Dean and ask him for 5 more dollars and then he might give me a cheque for the $5.00 he would still owe me which I would come to you to cash and you would charge me $5 and I would go back to Mr. Dean ….you see the problem.” I looked hopefully at sweet young thing, Cynthia, who wasn’t smiling at all even tightly anymore. Without looking back Kay could feel the people behind her getting impatient some of them muttering and chattering to each other. Too bad. It was her turn at the wicket. It was amazing what a good hair cut can do for a woman’s confidence.
“I’m sorry, That’s our policy.” Obviously Mr. Dean wasn’t considered a very important customer of the bank Kay thought. Just wait til she had a chance to tell him.
“Is there a problem?” A slightly older lady approached , presumably a more senior teller.
“ Yes, there seems to be,” and Kay, beginning at the beginning , explained again. She tried to keep her voice at a normal tone but she was sure she had to have the full attention of every one of the dozen people waiting between the snaking red cordons. She hoped they were at least somewhat amused at her situation. “ … so you see it could go on forever, Mr. Dean giving me cheques for 5$ and your charging $5 and me going back to Mr. Dean again, ad infinitum. I think this would be very tedious indeed for everyone, especially Mr. Dean who might very well listen to my advice to change banks,” Kay finished.
The senior teller seemed unimpressed . “ I’m sorry. That is our policy. I suggest you take the cheque to your own bank. I’m sure they would be happy to cash it for you. Or, you could open an account with us? Then we would be happy to cash the cheque at no charge.”
“You mean if I opened an account, which I never ever used, and which you had to administer for years and years, that would be better business than just honouring your cheque, Mr. Dean’s cheque, you customer’s cheque, without charge?”
“Well, yes, I’m afraid that is bank policy.”
Kay took a deep breath. “Could I see the manager?”
“I am the manager.” The lady looked almost sorry to impart this information broadside to Kay.
“Oh. I see.” Kay didn’t think the lady looked old enough to manage anything but there you go. One could never tell. “ Well, anyway, I am not going to open an account here. Who wants to use a bank which doesn’t honour their cheques?” Kay picked up the cheque and her cards, stuffed them in her bag and turned on her heel, walking out with as much dignity as she could muster, knowing all eyes were on her. She felt like she used to feel at the grocery counter when she didn’t have enough cash to pay for her order. But she felt she had at least held her own.