I work in a bank and I have always wondered why our relationship managers, i.e. sales representatives, are commonly referred to as "the platforms," or "the platform officers."
Learn English – Why are bankers called “the Platform”
etymology
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Best Answer
A platform officer is a banker who advises the public with the bank's accounts and services, and helps arrange them. The term dates back to at least the early 20th century.
AllBusiness.com's Business Glossary says:
These officers are also known as platform officers, or as in your bank, platforms for short.
Here's a job ad from The Miami News, Feb 13, 1971 showing it's a front-of-house customer-services job:
From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Jan 23, 1969:
The following are Google Books snippets and the years may be wrong but they look plausible.
Banking: Journal of the American Bankers Association, Volume 50, Part 2, 1958
The Bankers Magazine - Volume 128 - Page viii, 1934:
Trust Companies - Volume 67 - Page 25, 1938:
Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of St. Paul - Page 533, 1917:
Annual Report - Page 29, Saint Paul (Minn.). Bureau of Health, Saint Paul (Minn.). Dept. of Health, Saint Paul (Minn.). Commissioner of Health - 1915: