December 2018 by Roy G.
So my grandson, Jack, age 13, received a check for $50 from our cousin in Massachusetts. ( I am also legal guardian for Jack.) Since he does not have his own bank account or ID to be able to cash the check, I gave him $50 cash and he endorsed the check on the back and gave it to me to deposit to one of my two Camden National Bank checking accounts. By the way, before making this deposit the total balance of my two checking accounts was several thousand dollars. I went to the drive up window the Eastern Ave., Augusta branch, co-endorsed the back on the check under Jack's signature with my signature, made out a deposit slip and presented it to the teller. After I gave her the check and deposit slip, I could see her walking around inside the bank with a bewildered look on her face. She came back to the window and rather rudely and accusingly asked who this Jack Gutfinski was to me. I told her he was my grandson. She walked away and came back again. She asked my how old my grandson was and I told her. She then stated "Well you are not his parent, only his grandparent." I said "I am also his legal guardian." She then demanded I write "grandparent" on the back of the check and sent the check back to me through the window, I wrote "Grandparent" and "Guardian" on the back of the check under my signature, and passed the check back to her. At this point, I had about had it and demanded to see the branch manager. Another rudely acting Camden National employee identified herself as Tiffany. I explained I have two checking accounts with Camden National, have been a customer, starting with Gardiner Savings Bank, for over 43 years, have several thousand dollars in my account, was not trying to cash the check but only deposit it, and wanted to know why a long time customer was being put through the third degree. She basically shrugged her shoulders and told me it was policy and not her problem. I have just received a call from the REAL Branch Manager, who, is NOT named Tiffany. So the plot thickens. I asked for the Branch Manager and was told that Tiffany was the Branch Manager. Sounds to be like someone has some straightening out to do. As I explained to the real Branch Manager, I am not quite as stupid as you seem to believe your customers to be. You routinely put 15 or so day holds on large amount checks to protect the Bank until the check clears. You could certainly do the same on a $50 check. Tiffany is apparently a Senior Teller or at least one with some more experience than the obviously inexperienced teller I first dealt with. I should have known the first teller was inexperienced because when I first drove up to the window, I watched her carefully examining a $2 Federal Reserve Note (not mine, another customer's) as if she had never seen one before. They are really not that uncommon and I usually have a couple of them in my wallet myself. Be that as it may, I asked to see the Branch Manager and both women clearly led me to believe that Tiffany was the Branch Manager. The woman in the car with me heard and saw the conversation and also recalls I was told Tiffany was the Manager. Where does basic honesty fall within your training program? When the actual Branch Manager called me yesteday afternoon she mentioned concern about possible fraud. If I was a non-customer attempting to cash a third party check, that would make sense. I was a long time customer attempting to deposit the check into a long-existing account carrying a significant balance. I know for a fact your tellers have real time computer access to my bank records including running balances in my accounts. I ask you, look at my account records with CNB and once again tell me that you suspct me of fraud. There are not too many ways you can "spin" this one...if the real Branch Manager was out or unavailable, why not just tell the customer that she is out or unavailable? Truth always ends up a better friend than does a lie. Actu
