There is a Chase branch in our neighborhood Fred Meyer. As I have never been a WaMu customer, this does not cause any particular emotional reaction for me. I have noticed, recently, what they wear.
You see, Chase, as many of you may already be aware, has a strict dress code. And in my mind, that’s a good thing. Does anyone else remember the days when bank tellers dressed professionally? Over the past several years, I have been increasingly appalled by the varieties of lingerie and other leisurewear showing up in banks. Honestly, though, the workers themselves can hardly be blamed; they just don’t know better. But Chase is teaching them.
For one, Chase employees are required to wear Chase logo clothing available through their apparel program. And then, they are provided with guidelines on how to do so professionally:
- shirts must be buttoned up.
- no visible undergarments, with the one preppy exception: the white crew-neck tee. (Actually, they also allow a tee or turtleneck in the same color as the shirt also.)
- shirts have to fit!
- the employee may wear any color trouser or skirt as long as it is black. Cut, fit, and styling must be simple and professional.
- and more.
Based on their job, Chase employees fall into one of two “Apparel Categories”: classic (business casual) and professional (formal business).
When I spot one of these people in the Fred Meyer parking lot, they catch my eye – for a good reason. They look put together. Ironically, their shirts are the same color as the Fred Meyer polo worn by the cashiers; since I am acquainted with a number of the cashiers, I notice the color first. But then I notice the fit. In a tailored shirt constructed to fit the feminine figure and black trousers, it’s little wonder the young ladies look, well, business casual. And the young men? Chase blue shirt, black sweater vest and trousers.
Tellers working for other banks would do well to take notice and put together their own “classic” look. More importantly, companies wishing to inspire client confidence would do well to consider the impact the appearance of their employees has on their corporate image.
(twinhill.com faqs for the Chase Apparel program, accessed June 30, 2010. no affiliation. also: chase_dressguidelines.doc.)
Dress code or uniform? Sounds more like a uniform, or a uniform-with-allowable-variations.
At any rate, I do think it’s right. Perhaps at the upper echelons, a little more individuality–a suit of your own choosing, but I’m thinking that’s for the level where you’re not in daily customer contact.
Especially for people who are in first jobs after school or university, I think it’s important to learn how to dress for your position–and a bank is a place where you have to convey ‘trust me not to run off with that deposit’. A strict code, even to the point of unifor, is a good idea, actually.
Here, most schools have uniforms too–kids learn to express their ‘uniqueness’ through ability, not through appearance (of course, that goes out the window as soon as they’re in uni or out of school for other endeavours). Verbal expression, academic/athletic/artistic achievement. Naturally, ‘uniqueness’ comes out in bad ways as soon as school is out and they’re around town or on the bus (loud/aggressive behaviour, foul language), but you can identify which school they’re from, and call the school…
Anyway, I’m not averse to the idea of strict dress codes or uniforms for those in customer service capacities. I like knowing who WORKS at the businesses I support!
You are right, it is more of a uniform. And I agree with you: the most appropriate place for that is in those entry level, first jobs. One of the early retail jobs I had required skirts or dresses and didn’t allow sleeveless, among other restrictions. It was a huge deal in the early 90s when that company began allowing nice trousers! Now the people who work there look like everywhere else.
On reflection, I have to agree with you about the upper level professionals at the bank too. It seems like a dark, conservative suit of their own choosing should be acceptable. And maybe it is, I didn’t look that closely. OTOH, I recall an acquaintance, a clerical-type employee in an accounting office, whose boss gave her $$$ to buy professional suits; instead, she decided she could get more mileage with the money buying separates and continued wearing the same sorts of immodest and inexpensive clothing. Needless to say, when they had the chance, the office let her go. And she was 40ish when this happened!
Wow. For your boss to GIVE you money to buy work-appropriate clothes, and then to buy exactly what you were told wasn’t going to cut it, is stupid in more ways than I’m able to count.
I like the uniform-with-alternatives. Saves employees from making a major investment but allows for individual (slight) variation.
Happy to be called a fuddy duddy, I hate that look where the young man’s undershirt (crew neck tee) shows. I guess the uniform look is okay: Team Bank! I think uniforms are often disliked
because they block achieving that holy grail of “I’m special!.” Unless the uniform is recognized and respected as a clue to how special a person must be to “earn” it.
Vildy – since I tend to overthink things, I’m wondering why I prefer the underwear look and you don’t. May have to do with regional differences of how people wear stuff. Out here in the West, if a man isn’t wearing a crew neck underwear shirt, he’s probably naked under his dress shirt. For some reason, that grosses me out!?! Reminds me of the 70s and men in polyester and gold chains, showing off their hairy chests. lol
I don’t know. There’s just something clean, strong, respectable and manly about a good stiff white tee shirt. *chuckle* Feel free to laugh at me about it, I certainly am!
what? nobody ever heard of vee neck undershirts? 😀
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my question is drees code is the same in anywhere in the world or each bank has their on drees code