Bank clerks...wtf!
Discussion
OK, I realise it is a competitive world and firms have to make cutbacks to survive, but I've just been into my local Nat West to pay a bill (£40) but I was met at the door by two Gestapo (Sorry workers) who said "What can we do for you?".
I explained I just wanted to go to the counter to pay a bill, so she said "There is a wait of an hour"....why don't you use the machines?
The thing was there was nobody else in the bank, the two women behind the counter were just talking to each other, I'm a bit old fashioned, I prefer to deal with a person rather than a machine, although to be fair she did take me to a machine and show me how to pay the bill (easy enough now I know), but not so easy if you are a doddery old 90 year old.
I realise it is a changing world and it is not 1970 any more, but an hours wait to see somebody ten foot away is taking the pi*s.
Bear in mind they are paying the two "greeters" to stand there all day.
So to any counter clerks on here, I really hope you have a job in a few years.
I explained I just wanted to go to the counter to pay a bill, so she said "There is a wait of an hour"....why don't you use the machines?
The thing was there was nobody else in the bank, the two women behind the counter were just talking to each other, I'm a bit old fashioned, I prefer to deal with a person rather than a machine, although to be fair she did take me to a machine and show me how to pay the bill (easy enough now I know), but not so easy if you are a doddery old 90 year old.
I realise it is a changing world and it is not 1970 any more, but an hours wait to see somebody ten foot away is taking the pi*s.
Bear in mind they are paying the two "greeters" to stand there all day.
So to any counter clerks on here, I really hope you have a job in a few years.
During 2020, my Uncle gave me £3k in cash for flights that I had booked for him in Jan/Feb. I queued up at NatWest and the Stasi were questioning everyone in the queue about the reasons for their visit.
I stated I had cash, but was happy to use the paying in machines 3 times to pay it in. I was allowed to remain in the queue.
There was an elderly lady behind me who wanted to transfer money between accounts. "You'll have to register online and use internet banking" barked the pompous bank clerk. The elderly lady look upset, so I challenged it - "Do you have a computer or tablet at home?" "No." "So how can she register online for internet banking?" I was pretty furious at the bank clerk and the elderly lady was allowed to remain in line.
I stated I had cash, but was happy to use the paying in machines 3 times to pay it in. I was allowed to remain in the queue.
There was an elderly lady behind me who wanted to transfer money between accounts. "You'll have to register online and use internet banking" barked the pompous bank clerk. The elderly lady look upset, so I challenged it - "Do you have a computer or tablet at home?" "No." "So how can she register online for internet banking?" I was pretty furious at the bank clerk and the elderly lady was allowed to remain in line.
i recently emptied my penny jar and after counting it up and properly bagging it in the little bank bags, i took it to my local HSBC to pay it in however despite saturday being the only day many working people can get to the bank the counter wasnt open on a saturday.
If i had notes i could pay it in via a machine but there is no way of paying in loose change at the bank unless you go between 10am and 3pm monday to friday which is the new reduced working hours of the main town centre branch.
In the end i paid it in via my local post office branch which was still a faff but at least it got done eventually.
If i had notes i could pay it in via a machine but there is no way of paying in loose change at the bank unless you go between 10am and 3pm monday to friday which is the new reduced working hours of the main town centre branch.
In the end i paid it in via my local post office branch which was still a faff but at least it got done eventually.
I went I to my HSBC branch the other week that has just been refurbished. I was met by a meeter and greeter and when I said that I was after the counter, I was informed that they are now a 'digital' branch and no longer have a counter. In fairness she did assist me to use the machine to pay in a reasonable sum of cash.
captain_cynic said:
Just wondering,
For those bandying about words like "stassi" and "Gestapo"... How much per month are you willing to pay in account keeping fees?
I think I pay £19 per month for some flash harry current account. The car breakdown cover, travel insurance, mobile insurance and "free" Taste Card make it good value.For those bandying about words like "stassi" and "Gestapo"... How much per month are you willing to pay in account keeping fees?
ks. blue_haddock said:
i recently emptied my penny jar and after counting it up and properly bagging it in the little bank bags, i took it to my local HSBC to pay it in however despite saturday being the only day many working people can get to the bank the counter wasnt open on a saturday.
If i had notes i could pay it in via a machine but there is no way of paying in loose change at the bank unless you go between 10am and 3pm monday to friday which is the new reduced working hours of the main town centre branch.
In the end i paid it in via my local post office branch which was still a faff but at least it got done eventually.
My local Nat West has a machine. Chuck in a bucketful of mixed change, stick your card in, it clatters away for 30 seconds, prints a receipt and away you go. Never a queue, it can count accurately. Another one does notes, and works equally well.If i had notes i could pay it in via a machine but there is no way of paying in loose change at the bank unless you go between 10am and 3pm monday to friday which is the new reduced working hours of the main town centre branch.
In the end i paid it in via my local post office branch which was still a faff but at least it got done eventually.
Luddites
)They want everyone to do stuff online. It is what it is, I can't honestly remember the last time I went to a bank. You can pay anyone through the app, even scan cheques in.
Better off working with it than against it! I get there are still some elderly people who can't do it, but the world isn't going to wait for them. Sounds harsh but its reality
Better off working with it than against it! I get there are still some elderly people who can't do it, but the world isn't going to wait for them. Sounds harsh but its reality
The Rotrex Kid said:
GAjon said:
Should of said ok, can I speak to someone about closing my account.
I’m sure they would have made someone a available immediately.
I’m sure they would have made someone a available immediately.
They wouldn't. They would have told you to do it online or over the phone.
Do you know who I am.
I been banking here for xxxxxx number of years, or before you were born.
This is outrageous!
I want / demand to speak to someone in authority.
Hours of enjoyment for days retelling the story of how you put a jobsworth in their place.
Banks clearly see premises/branches, counter services, and customer facing staff as a cost they could do without, and appear to be steadily restricting, minimising, and closing access to counter services.
Neither myself nor my wife have been in retail bank premises much for years, as we use online banking, and it was only recently we had to make a trip to several different banks in person to change our address.
The reason for this is because the house has just been built and does not yet show up on standard property address databases that the banks use. We got nowhere phoning them, and therefore had to go to a branch with ID and confirmation of new address.
As the OP says, there were a couple of 'greeter' type staff members simply telling the public to use the machines, use internet banking, go away, or informing them that there was a long wait for counter staff. Pretty much anything to stop the public actually coming into the branch or utilising the staff.
The customers were interesting. As I said, I haven't been into a city centre bank branch for years, and on this particular morning, the customers seemed to be a mix of the very elderly, the inept, the unemployed, the smelly, the weird, and so on.
Neither myself nor my wife have been in retail bank premises much for years, as we use online banking, and it was only recently we had to make a trip to several different banks in person to change our address.
The reason for this is because the house has just been built and does not yet show up on standard property address databases that the banks use. We got nowhere phoning them, and therefore had to go to a branch with ID and confirmation of new address.
As the OP says, there were a couple of 'greeter' type staff members simply telling the public to use the machines, use internet banking, go away, or informing them that there was a long wait for counter staff. Pretty much anything to stop the public actually coming into the branch or utilising the staff.
The customers were interesting. As I said, I haven't been into a city centre bank branch for years, and on this particular morning, the customers seemed to be a mix of the very elderly, the inept, the unemployed, the smelly, the weird, and so on.
GAjon said:
The Rotrex Kid said:
GAjon said:
Should of said ok, can I speak to someone about closing my account.
I’m sure they would have made someone a available immediately.
I’m sure they would have made someone a available immediately.
They wouldn't. They would have told you to do it online or over the phone.
Do you know who I am.
I been banking here for xxxxxx number of years, or before you were born.
This is outrageous!
I want / demand to speak to someone in authority.
Hours of enjoyment for days retelling the story of how you put a jobsworth in their place.
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