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Approximately 2,500 bank employees in North Rhine-Westphalia have so far taken part in the ver.di survey on sales pressure. Several hundred customer consultants have posted comments on the website www.verkaufsdruckneindanke.de, providing drastic evidence of the rapidly deteriorating situation for employees in the industry. The fact is, the financial crisis has not led to any changes whatsoever although bank managers like to claim that the necessary lessons have been learned from the crisis.



One comment serves to illustrate the conditions bank employees are faced with: "The pressure to sell has become completely intolerable. With some managers you have the impression that they would beat you if they were allowed to." Other postings speak of "sales hell" and "inhuman methods", and many say they wonder "how long I can take this pressure before I become ill".



Employees report that high pressure selling remains in effect, for example in the form of "Power Days". And only the products specified by the banks "count". Those who fail to make a sale within an hour are put under pressure by the manager. Employees are told that customer portfolios have to be "churned". Customers are constantly pestered by telephone campaigns, and managers regularly announce: "We're not advisors, we're sellers. Advising is done by the Consumer Protection Bureau."



In the ver.di online poll, 95% of the site visitors voted in favour of the demand "Advice in line with the customer's needs instead of sales at any price."







The respondents voted as follows on the demands below*:





For furher information go to "Related articles" und "Related Files" sowie "http://www.verkaufsdruckneindanke.de".







*Translation of Table



Aussetzen der Zielvorgaben für dieses Jahr - Cancellation of targets for this year



Überprüfung aller Leistungsanreizsysteme - Review of all performance-based incentive systems



Keine weitere Variabilisierung der Einkommen - A stop to expansion of variable income components



Kein ständiges Ändern von Vertriebsstrategien (Aktionen) - Time to end the constant changes in sales strategies (campaigns)



Schluss mit unwürdigen Praktiken des Vertriebscontrollings - Time to end humiliating sales controlling practices



Kundenbedarfsgerechte Beratung statt Verkauf auf "Teufel komm raus" - Advice in line with customer needs – NOT pushing products at all costs



Finanzprodukte, die von Beratern und Kunden verstanden werden - Financial products must be understood by advisors and customers