Umm, it's my turn at the window now

[LillFilly]

I was at the bank a few days ago and still can't forget this woman.

My bank has ropes set-up where you wait in line, with a sign at the front about 4-feet away from the counter asking customers to wait here for the next window to ensure the privacy of those currently at the counter.

I'm at the counter making a deposit and cashing some bonds. My teller explains she just got off leave and the system had some changes while she was gone, so the bond cashing process is a little different than she remembers. No problem, I have time. There is also another teller open who is going between the counter and drive-through, and a manager going between the two tellers and the drive-through.

My teller got stuck on something and the manager came-over to help her. There was an empty window with a 'next teller please' sign in it between the 2-tellers. When the manager came-over the help my teller, this put her near that window.

The next customer, a little old biddy, storms-up to that window and starts telling the manager what she wants done. The manager points-out that this window is closed. Biddy says "But you're STANDING here, you have to help me!" Manager says she's helping my teller. Biddy complains she's been waiting too long, what's taking so long? Manager explains what each employee is doing. Biddy continues to complain she needs help. Manager invites her to get back to the line and wait for the next available window.

Biddy spends the next 5-min or so standing next to me at the CLOSED window, complaining loudly to the people still standing in line how the manager won't help her, complaining to the 2-tellers to hurry-up, complaining to the manager to stop fooling around, and complaining to me that the manager should help her and not my teller..which apparently counts as 'fooling around.' Biddy also constantly sighed and kept pressing closer to me, almost looking over my shoulder, apparently trying to see if I was done yet.

I probably should have made a show about how her invading my space while I was conducting a transaction was making me uncomfortable so she would get the point and go back to the line, which by this point was just rolling their eyes at her.

[bainsidhe]

Don't worry, you can do it next time. Because there always seems to be a next time.

[EricKei]

Aye. You could always slip in suggestions to the effect of...

"You're getting a little too close, especially considering that I'm making a cash transaction here"

"How do I know you won't try to reach under the window here?"

Or other, similar things. Make sure the closest manager(s) and security guys can hear you clearly.

[dbuzman]

No, you don't suggest or hint, you clearly state "you are too close, move away".

There is nothing wrong with standing up for yourself if you're not sucky when you do it.

[Hyndis]

I would order her to move away from me. Not hint, not request, but simply tell her to back away.

If I'm handling a transaction at the bank I do not want some random person wandering up to me and looking over my shoulder the entire time.

[fireheart]

Our bank doesn't even have ropes to line up. Because they want to appear more "friendly" to their customers, most of the banks in Australia have you sitting on chairs or such while you wait. I usually try and go when it's quiet though, or I use phone banking or even an ATM. (they can't do deposits, but I can transfer funds)

[EricKei]

Chairs? Nifty. ^_^ Tho, if you did that here, I can pretty much guarantee you that people just walking in would "think" to themselves "Those people sitting down must not be in line, it looks like they're waiting for a bank officer to take care of something else".

[Chromatix]

Finnish banks generally have a take-a-number system. So it's friendly and open like the Australian ones, but still mostly orderly.