(1) The head messenger will make a daily schedule for reporting each morning for work, lunch hour, etc. When the messengers are not out on trips they will be assigned to other work. Messengers must report immediately to the head messenger upon return from routes. If unable to report for work, telephone the chief clerk not later than the time you customarily arrive. If late, notify the head messenger upon arrival, so that you will not be reported as being absent. (2) The routes and times, of course, vary in different cities. Messengers must be sure that everything carried by them on their routes has been turned in before leaving at night, and must check up with the head messenger. Be sure that your wallet is supplied at all times with "notices," "dishonored check receipts," "cash envelopes" and "collection paid stamp." It is very important that you keep the date correct on your collection paid stamp. If the documents which you have stamped should be needed as proof in court, the exact date will be very necessary. The wallet should always be carried, and carried inconspicuously, even if it contains but one item.

Keep your hand on the wallet and then no one will be able to take it away from you without your knowing it.

(3) Before starting on your trip, be sure that you have located with accuracy all of the parties for whom you have documents. When you have a large number for one building, ride up in the elevator and present the documents from office to office as you run down from the top floor to the bottom.

(4) On entering an office for the purpose of making presentation of collections, etc., always bear in mind that you are a representative of your bank, and that your institution is constantly endeavoring to obtain new customers, and at the same time please all with whom the bank does business.

(5) Present all paper promptly. Drafts for acceptance or payment should always be presented to the drawee in person, and the collector should make every effort to find him. In case the drawee is absent a presentation of the draft at his place of business and the leaving of a notice may be sufficient, but whenever possible see the drawee in person.

(6) Present all firm or corporation documents at the cashier's office of the concern, and be careful to distinguish between documents which are obligations of the firm and others that are personal obligations of its officers or employees.

(7) If the document is refused payment or acceptance, the collector should try to get the interested party to write his reason on the back of the document itself and never on any papers which are attached to it. In the event of his refusing to do so the collector should himself make the notation. No document should be returned to the collection teller without some notation of reasons. In the case of handling returned checks, notations should be made on the back of the "return slip" which is attached to the face of the check. These rules are of importance and should be followed for perfect work.

(8) In the case of non-payment or non-acceptance, leave plain and legible "notices," in all cases. Remember that the "notice" is left to safeguard your bank from a lawsuit for not having presented the paper. The notice is proof of presentation. If entrance to office or residence of drawee is locked, the notice may be left in the drawee's mail box or under the door.

(9) When a time draft is presented for acceptance, be sure that the party who accepts the same has the proper authority to do so. Acceptance should be signed as follows: When drawn on a partnership, it must be signed in the partnership name with the name of the partner signing it; if a corporation, it must be signed in the corporation name with the name of the official signing it, who must show his title after his name.

(10) Always remember either to get payment or bring back the item itself. Never leave an unpaid draft or note without first calling up the city collection department, draft teller or head messenger. Messengers should never intimate that they are tired of bringing the same collection over and over again without results. The teller should, however, not allow collections to drag along too long, and after an item has been presented a certain number of times it is well to attach a notation saying that if such item is not paid "we will be obliged to return it to the source from which we received it." When you have for collection two or more drafts on one party who pays by one check, the amounts of the drafts that are paid must be listed on the back of the check. This facilitates tracing and checking up.

(11) Drafts are frequently paid by persons other than those on whom the same are drawn, but great care should be exercised in such cases in order to avoid liability for loss occurring to the rightful owner of goods released as collateral. Be sure to write on the back of the check the name of the party on whom the draft was drawn. When you are presenting a draft for payment, never allow anybody to take up and keep a bill of lading or other papers unless they pay the draft. When documents are attached to drafts presented for payment, observe closely the number of bills of lading and other documents, and be sure that the same number and kinds are returned to you if the draft is not paid. Do not permit a change to be made in the wording or meaning of any paper.

(12) Messengers may know which items are handled as cash and which are ordinary collections, but they should endeavor to get each paid. A messenger should never try to answer questions regarding matters with which he is not familiar. Any time such questions may be asked, promptly call the collection teller by telephone and see that the customer is thoroughly informed before taking the collection back to the bank.

(13) When you receive currency in payment of items, be sure that you have the correct amount. When receiving cash, place the same in your "cash envelope" in the presence of the party giving the same to you, so that in case you should receive counterfeit or mutilated money you can prove that you received it from him. Seal the envelope and place the name of the payer, the date and your name on the outside. Always "line up" checks and currency that you have received, so that they are ready for quick reading or counting by those who receive them from you at the bank.

(14) Make it a rule to look over what is received from customers after presentation with the greatest care in order to avoid errors or trouble for other men in your bank who must handle the documents you have received. Be sure the checks received are signed. This is a simple illustration of this point. In fact, the messengers should be so well versed in the proper form and filling in of documents that they will observe at a glance when some defect needs correcting. Make it a rule to scan every document you handle and develop a capacity to detect such errors as absence of date or absence of signature.

(15) Never accept "part payments." When receiving a check be careful to note the following: (a) Check must be drawn on a local bank. Never accept a check drawn on any bank outside of your own city until you have called up and secured permission from an officer. (b) Check must be payable to your own bank. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the check, if not drawn on your own bank, must be certified. (c) The amount should be correct. (d) Check should be properly signed. (e) The amount in figures must agree with the written amount. (f) Never accept a draft which is drawn on any one else as payment for an item.

(16) If the party who usually signs the checks is not in, see that the draft is "OK'ed" by some responsible person who agrees to see that the draft is paid on the following presentation. Try to arrange matters so as to present items when the cashier is in. This may appear to be a small matter, but in reality it is of very great importance, and may be a way for making the relations of these firms and your bank more agreeable. If you have any special instructions, always explain what your instructions are, and say that you cannot do anything different without permission from the person who gave you your instructions.

(17) The messenger should be especially careful in the handling of papers and documents so that he will not lose them. The loss of a document may lay the bank open to a lawsuit and cause it to suffer a considerable loss. For example, the loss of a payment upon a real estate option, or a failure to deliver a bill of lading for perishable goods, would give a customer just cause for complaint. The representative of a bank should cultivate the habit of making a mental note of all documents handed out and received in order to detect detachments that customers may have attempted to make.

(18) In handling checks returned for indorsement, always see that each check is indorsed exactly in the form in which the name of the payee appears on the check. If the payee is a partnership, the indorsement must be made by one of the partners and show the partnership name. If the payee is a corporation, the indorsement must show the corporation name and the name of the official of the corporation signing, together with his title.

(19) "Dishonored check receipts," given to the bank by its customer for an item which has to be left a day or two in order to permit some necessary correction, may be used only in the following cases:

(a) When the check has not been indorsed.

(b) When the check is not properly indorsed.

(c) When the check is not countersigned.

(d) When the check is not signed.

(e) When the amount is to be guaranteed.

(f) When an alteration is to be guaranteed. The bank holds these receipts instead of charging the amount of the item to the customer's account.

(20) The messenger who is interested in the growth of his own bank will notice all new firms which are just starting in business, or old firms which are moving to a new location, and will report such facts to the head messenger. Credit will be given for any new accounts that may be brought to the bank in this way.

(21) Messengers should understand that their time belongs to the bank from the moment when they arrive in the morning until they leave at night. Spare moments should be used for improving knowledge and training with the equipment of the bank. Messengers should not do personal errands for any one except during the noon hour or outside of banking hours. If it is necessary for a messenger to have a short leave of absence, such, for instance, as to go to a dentist, leave may be secured by making request to the department head or to an officer.

(22) Take nothing for granted. Investigate anything that you do not thoroughly understand.