Messengers have an important influence on the ideas of business men concerning particular banks. Many people judge a bank by its messengers because they see the messengers often and may never actually come to the bank to see any one else. While the officers often meet the public in the making of loans and the transacting of other business, yet the messengers are very important from the standpoint of appearances, for they assist in collecting the obligations due to a bank. It is equally as important to make a good impression when collecting as when lending. Personal cleanliness is the first essential in making a good impression. Customers consider smoking as questionable in a young man. Even the officers who smoke usually prefer the young man who does not smoke. As the personal representatives of the bank, therefore, messengers should consider their own personal appearance equally as important as the personal appearance of an officer.

The second essential is courtesy and politeness. The essence of courtesy is to treat every individual with equal kindness and consideration. What may appear to a messenger to be a very insignificant transaction with a very insignificant individual may, as a matter of fact, influence a very large transaction for or against his own bank. So much of modern business is carried on over the telephone that the customers of a bank may very easily form their opinion of the bank from the way in which they are treated in a telephone conversation. The fact that the person with whom you are talking over the telephone cannot see your face makes it especially important that your words be selected carefully and that your general attitude be that of persuasive kindliness. No one should attempt to telephone concerning important business matters without planning carefully in advance what he is going to say.

A third essential is never to give out any information concerning the affairs of the bank. Business men do not like to have their affairs known in great detail by their competitors or by other business men. The customer's relation with his bank is one of great confidence, similar to his relationship with his doctor or his lawyer. The men who represent banks must therefore be always on their guard to avoid giving confidential information into the hands of persons who should not receive it. Never answer a question concerning another business man's affairs which have been handled through your bank. Do not boast, either upon the street or at your home, concerning any transaction which you may have handled. Consider yourself the confidential trustee of the bank's information. Nothing will drive away a customer so quickly as to find out that he can secure information concerning others, because he will then suspect that others can secure information concerning him.