Deaf Bank Consultant: „I Receive Inquiries From All Over Germany“

In the middle of the foyer of the bank Robert Davis sits under the symbolic sign for the deaf. He is the only bank consultant in Germany who advises his clients in sign language and is deaf himself. With hearing persons he speaks in normal spoken language and he lipreads.

01/03/2011

Robert Davis attaches great
importance to personal client talks
on site; © Commerzbank AG

REHACARE.de met the 51-year-old Briton by birth at his workplace in the Commerzbank Dusseldorf and talked with him about Germany-wide inquiries, invented gestures and additional work.

REHACARE.de: Mr. Davis, building society savings, account processing or precaution – you advise your deaf clients in sign language in the midst of the big customer's hall. Why does one need workplaces like yours?

Robert Davis: The bank is an intimate area for clients. In such counseling interviews we sometimes discuss debts or other very private subjects. Almost nobody wants a third party to accompany him or her. For such counseling interviews, deaf people have to apply for a sign language interpreter, but this can often take several weeks. I can cut out the middle man. Thus I can build the trust to the client much easier.

REHACARE.de: How well do the clients accept this remarkable consultation offer?

Davis: When I start up my laptop in the morning, numerous clients’ inquiries appear directly on my monitor. Many get in touch with me by email or text me. In addition, I also consult via picture phone. Thus I even receive inquiries from all over Germany. Nowadays, I supervise about 500 clients across the nation. Trend rising.

REHACARE.de: Text, email, picture phone – does one need the personal consultation face-to-face at all?

Davis: The contact via text or email is a very cold and impersonal consultation in my eyes. One can misunderstand things very fast this way. That’s why I prefer the personal talks here at the branch. After all, mimic and body language are a very important part of sign language. In such direct contact I can understand much better whether my counterpart can follow me and whether he understands everything I say.

For the Riester pension one had to invent a combination of gestures - the haircut of the name giver is one part of it; © Commerzbank AG

REHACARE.de: Withholding taxes or asset-building benefits - in the banking sector there are many different terminologies. Do you have to invent the gestures?

Davis: For many terms there are standardised gestures, but with new terms one has to spell the things either or invent gestures oneself.

REHACARE.de: Such as?

Davis: When the Riester pension came up, we first combined the gesture for the letter "R" and the gesture for pension with each other. Then, a client asked me about a new pension. He led his hand to the head as he would indicate a haircut and then used the gesture for pension. As a result I researched a lot and asked around whether my colleagues knew the haircut or hairdresser pension. It lasted quite a while, until I found out that the client meant the Riester pension. The gesture should indicate the hairstyle of the name giver of the pension.

REHACARE.de: Before you had this position as a bank consultant, you worked as a stockbroker. Then you lost your sense of hearing increasingly.

Davis: Yes, due to an infection about ten, eleven years ago I increasingly lost my hearing ability. As a stockbroker figures were an essential thing for me. But more and more frequently I had problems understanding all the figures on the phone. I have juggled with millions for my clients, and then at night I lay awake because I worried I could have mistaken figures. Then the doctor diagnosed a benign tumor. Numerous operations followed and I also got a cochlear implant later. I am completely deaf now for about two years now.

Gestures for term like "shares"
are standardised by now;
© Commerzbank AG

REHACARE.de: How does it feel for you to live in a world almost without sounds and noises?

Davis: What I miss the most is the laughter of children. But the implant is, nevertheless, a miracle of technology. Indeed, now I register so many noises that I have problems to handle them. Deep and high tones bang on each other. They meet in the middle and then chaos emerges.

REHACARE.de: What exactly can you still register then?

Davis: I can hear many noises of the everyday life, but I cannot assign them logically. I cannot recognise everyday noises like airplanes, meat which sizzles in the pan, or a water cooker. To understand what penetrates to my ear, I have to hear and see the things.

REHACARE.de: You are very involved in deaf people. In addition to your job in the bank you also go to schools to raise awareness and acceptance.

Davis: Correct. No matter if at the daycare centre or vocational school – I try to get the children and youngsters enthusiastic about sign language. We play games like Chinese whispers with gestures or they have to guess different gestures. In schools for hearing-impaired people I also give lessons on the subjects online banking or finances in general. It is important to me that not only the hearing people show understanding, but also to strengthen the deaf in their independency and boost self confidence.

The green crossed out ear directly
refers to Robert Davis' workplace;
© Commerzbank AG

REHACARE.de: Why is this so important?

Davis: I used to be independent. Today I am dependent because of the hearing loss. However, especially concerning banking transactions it is important that one can make own decisions – without help of others. So I try to help where I can. Clients also sometimes come to me and need help with buying a car or they look for a doctor who also speaks sign language. In these situations I enjoy to go the extra mile and to mediate.

REHACARE.de: What makes you and your occupation so unique?

Davis: I have a conspicuously marked workplace in the middle of the foyer. Above all this has one special reason: I want to be visible as a deaf person! Otherwise nothing really distinguishes me from the colleagues. The mouth is my source of information. And what other people do with their voice, I do with the hands.

This interview was conducted by Nadine Lormis.
REHACARE.de

You have some questions and would like to be advised by Robert Davis? This is how to get in contact with him:

Blackberry: +49 (0) 172 294 74 48
Email: Rob.Davis@commerzbank.com