I spent two years, working "at the heart of the international financial markets" for a "top private-client brokers in the City of London", and with the recently received news of my sister getting a job at a stockbroking firm in Liverpool, I felt it was a good opportunity to tell everybody how I feel and what I know about these sorts of 1. Trust No One. Oh but they're so friendly! WRONG! These people will eat you alive. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice brokers, but unfortunately they're rare. Sure, everybody's nice when you first start, they're nice if you do everything they want you to do, they're nice if you stay in line (not always possible) or break the rules for them(depending on the broker), but as soon as you make any sort of step out of the box they want you in, that will all change. Be friendly, but stay on guard. They aren't your friends, they're salesmen and they are there to do their job.
2. Be Accurate. If you're dealing with ANY client information, be it deal tickets or client contact details, you have to be as accurate as possible. This may sound like a complete no-brainer, but there's another reason I say this. If you give brokers or fellow colleagues a reason to blame you for something they've done wrong, somewhere that they've fucked up, then they will point the finger. Being as accurate as possible will cover your ass in most areas. Getting something wrong may mean getting seriously ragged out by seniors or jackass brokers, which isn't fun. If you set your reputation as being accurate, then they can't ever place blame.
3. FSA Regulated Stockbrokers? You're Being Recorded. The FSA requires all contact with a client to be recorded, for the safety of the business and of the individual. You're dealing with clients via reception? Yep, you're being recorded too. That personal call? Yep, that too. Be careful what you say and who you say it to. Initially, I suggest no personal phone calls be made, they'll be listening and watching you carefully. Get a feel for the place, then make a judgment call on what you can and cannot do.
4. Don't Take It Personally. This is an aggressive field. Its cat eat dog eat rabbit eat buffalo eat alligator (yes that bad lol). If people are pushy with you, seemingly angry at you, they're probably not. Chances are they've had a crap day with seniors breathing down their neck and clients screaming at them about the loss of money (Hello? Dressed up gambling? Can you always expect a return?) Its sometimes hard to shrug off being yelled at when you've done NOTHING wrong, a good point I found was to calmly ask the person why they're yelling at you and explain to them that if they continue to do it, you'll no longer try to help them. If that doesn't work, walk away and carry on with other work, then approach this person later, when they've cooled off, and explain to them that while you understand they're under stress, their actions were completely out of line. If they're yelling at you because you've done something wrong, then its either because you didn't heed rule number 2, or you've made their client angry, and thus angry with their broker. If its something like the latter, apologise and bury your head, it feels bad at first, but it'll soon be forgotten. If its the former, BE ACCURATE BITCH!
5. Dealing With Angry Clients. If a client gets aggressive to you on the phone, pass the buck. Put them on hold, give the call to someone more senior or someone who can actually help them. I had so many people bitch me out because I couldn't help them buy stock (I'm not fucken regulated, asshole!) You are not expected to be a fucken market genius, nor are you paid to be a all-knowing-stock-market whiz. If they get angry at you, then re-think rule 4. They are most likely angry at their broker, who never returns their phone calls and gives them bad investement advice. Do not ever take these calls personally.
6. Keep A Record. If a client calls in and the broker is not available to take a call, take a message and send them an email. Email is a good way of keeping record of whose called, and what messages you have taken. If you give them a verbal or written message, they may lose it, then blame you when the client calls them to rag them out about not returning their call. Email can be used for other record keeping too, like information regarding updating contact details and incorrect database information. Use it or they'll use it against you.
I think 6 points is enough to toil over for now :)