The teller in question may have been one of those types who care nothing about the customer and will take any excuse not to work. I have become somewhat cynical from too many encounters with that type of employee over the years.

I recall much the same principles you have discussed about improving the way software is designed from my classes in program development. Although the instructor was more on the side of having engineers go out and carefully observe how things are done rather than trying to do them theirselves.