HOULTON, Maine — Customers of T.D. Bank’s North Street branch were in for a bit of surprise Friday as one of the bank’s customer service representatives was dressed a bit out of character.
Nicole Almonte, a native of Germany, was dressed in an authentic Bavarian dirndl dress as part of a sociology class she is taking online through DeVry University, where she is pursuing a degree in communications.
“We were tasked with breaking a social norm,” Almonte said. “For example, if we lived in a big city, you would say hello to everyone you meet. One of my classmates decided he would only meow instead of talking.”
Almonte, who has been with the bank for the past six months, decided to ask her supervisor if it would be OK to wear an authentic dirndl dress she purchased while stationed in Germany.
Raised in Germany, Almonte came to Houlton in June 2017 with her husband, Allendy. The couple had no connection to Houlton and had never visited prior to moving to the Shiretown.
“We wanted to find a quiet, small town with a country setting and absolutely found it here in Houlton,” she said. “We love it here.”
Customer reaction to her attire was quite favorable, she said.
“People seem to love the dress and several have asked me if it was German Day or Oktoberfest here at the bank,” she said.
