To build a career in financial services, getting a job as a personal banker at Fifth Third Bank is an exciting chance. Fifth Third is one of the biggest banks in the Midwest, so there are a lot of opportunities for professional growth and development.
However, first you must successfully navigate the crucial interview stage. To show off your skills and get the personal banker job at Fifth Third, you need to know what kinds of questions they will ask.
To help you prepare for this important interview I’ve compiled a list of the top 25 personal banker interview questions along with sample answers. Learn what to expect and how to effectively respond when interviewing for this customer-facing, sales-focused role at Fifth Third Bank.
Let’s dive in!
Personal Banker Interview Questions on Sales Abilities
These questions are meant to test your sales skills to make sure you can meet the personal banker’s revenue goals.
1. This job requires meeting specific sales goals. How comfortable are you with sales and targets?
Highlight your sales abilities and competitive spirit. Provide examples of exceed sales objectives in past roles. Emphasize you thrive under pressure to achieve sales numbers without compromising customer service.
Example: I am very comfortable with sales responsibilities and achieving defined targets. In my previous financial services role at XYZ Bank, I consistently exceeded monthly sales goals for new accounts and lending products. I enjoy the process of consulting customers, presenting solutions, overcoming objections and closing sales. While targets motivate me, I never compromise ethical standards or customer needs just to make a sale. I aim to build trusted relationships that foster long-term business growth.
2. How do you feel about cross-selling and upselling to customers?
Reassure interviewers that you can effectively cross-sell and upsell without coming across as pushy Share examples of presenting suitable add-on products or upgrades to customers that benefited them
Example: I understand the value of cross-selling and upselling when done properly. This simply involves keeping the customer’s financial needs and goals in mind and then presenting relevant solutions that provide value. For example, when they are opening a new checking account, I may suggest a linked savings account to help them earn more interest. Or if a customer frequently travels overseas for business, I would propose a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. I aim to educate customers on how additional products can benefit them versus aggressively pushing extras for the sake of making sales.
3. How would you go about identifying sales opportunities during customer interactions?
Demonstrate your ability to listen and uncover needs as a way to identify potential sales opportunities. Give examples of probing questions you would ask customers to understand their financial situation and challenges in order to propose helpful products and services.
Example: I excel at identifying sales opportunities by fully engaging with customers during interactions. I ask probing questions about their current financial products, goals, pain points and lifestyle needs. This helps me pinpoint where potential gaps exist that Fifth Third Bank could fill. For instance, if a customer travels often for work but doesn’t have a credit card that earns travel rewards, I would present our reward points card. Or if a customer struggles to save with just a checking account, I would suggest opening a high yield savings account to help them earn more interest. Taking a consultative approach is key for me to recognize and propose the right financial solutions.
Personal Banker Interview Questions on Customer Service
These questions evaluate your ability to provide excellent customer service, which is crucial for personal bankers.
4. How would you handle an upset customer who felt they were misled about a product?
The key here is to emphasize patience, empathy and resolving the issue. Share your problem-solving process and how you would aim to turn around the customer’s viewpoint.
Example: I would first listen carefully to understand why the customer feels misled. I would then apologize sincerely for their experience and take ownership of their dissatisfaction. Next, I would review their account history and our product information to identify how the mismatch of expectations occurred. Finally, I would walk them through options to resolve the issue to their satisfaction, whether it be a refund, cancellation of the product or an adjustment in features or fees. I would make it clear that my goal is to ensure they feel genuinely supported and retain their trust in Fifth Third Bank.
5. Tell me about a time you had to manage an angry customer. How did you handle it?
Share a specific example that demonstrates patience, empathy and the ability to de-escalate an angry customer. Emphasize turning the negative experience into a positive one for the customer.
Example: A customer was furious because a deposit had not been credited to their account, resulting in overdraft fees. I started by listening and apologizing for this issue. I spoke calmly and investigated the missing deposit. We discovered the customer forgot to endorse the check. I reversed the fees, ensured the check was credited, and thanked the customer for their patience. Despite the mistakes on both sides, the customer left very satisfied. This experience demonstrates that even angry customers can be retained through understanding their perspective, resolving issues promptly and maintaining a professional attitude.
6. How would you handle a customer who wants a product or service you know is not the right fit?
Your response should show you can advise customers against unsuitable products or services while maintaining diplomacy, tact and rapport.
Example: I believe in taking an educational approach in such situations. I would explain how I arrived at my recommendation based on my understanding of their needs and discuss the downsides of the product they are requesting. However, I know some customers may still want to move forward. In those cases, I would provide all the necessary facts and required disclosures so they can make an informed decision. Though I may disagree with their choice, it is still my duty to respect their wishes while ensuring we meet compliance and ethical sales standards. My goal is advising customers in a way that maintains trust and goodwill.
Personal Banker Interview Questions on Regulatory Compliance
These questions evaluate your understanding of financial regulations and ability to operate with integrity.
7. What experience do you have adhering to regulatory banking compliance and security policies?
Share any compliance training completed and your familiarity with regulations like Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act, Fair Lending Laws, etc. Emphasize your commitment to understanding and implementing all compliance policies to uphold ethics and minimize risk for the bank.
Example: Throughout my banking career, I have received extensive compliance training on regulations like BSA, AML, KYC protocols and various federal lending laws. I understand the importance of adhering to these policies, not just to avoid penalties, but because they reflect our ethical duty to the customer. For example, with KYC policies I take time to verify customer identities and monitor for suspicious activity to prevent fraud. At Fifth Third, I would make sure to study all compliance manuals and procedures closely so I am prepared to operate ethically and apply regulations appropriately in every customer interaction.
8. You suspect a customer is structuring cash deposits to avoid reporting requirements. What would you do?
Demonstrate awareness that “structuring” is an illegal attempt to avoid triggering reporting requirements for large cash transactions. Explain you would document and escalate any suspicious deposit patterns per bank protocols. Emphasize the importance of compliance.
Example: I understand that deliberately structuring cash deposits to avoid $10,000 reporting requirements is illegal. If I observed any suspicious patterns that looked like attempts to structure deposits, I would document all details of the transactions. I would then immediately escalate the activity to my branch manager or
Fifth Third BankCommercial Banking
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Experience is a score between 1 star (very bad) and 5 stars (very good).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. If you move your mouse over the different parts of the doughnut, you’ll see exactly how each score was calculated.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. The confidence in a “true score” rises as more reviews are given about a business. This causes the score to move closer to its simple average and away from the average of the whole dataset. 3. 8.
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Difficulty is a score that goes from “very difficult” (red) to “very easy” (green).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. That is, as a business learns more, it becomes more sure of a “true score,” which moves it closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the data set. 2. 8.
Based on reviews at this company, the 20% of interns getting full-time offers chart is meant to give you a good idea of how the company hires people.
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
It uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates to account for companies that don’t have many reviews, which is how the percentile score in the title is found. To put it simply, when a business gets more reviews, the “true score” becomes more likely to be accurate. This makes it move closer to the simple company average and away from the average of all the data points. 65%.
