# Bank went counter-less....



## rgp (Jul 13, 2018)

Went to the bank yesterday. They no longer use the counter & tellers. Ya walk in & the available 'staffer' greets you, inviting you to his / her office. All business is done there. If someone pulls into the drive-up window lane, an alarm [chime] sounds.

Times they are'a changin'.......


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## jujube (Jul 13, 2018)

I keep an account at a bank like that.....I call it "boutique banking"....LOL.  When you walk into the lobby (and I hesitate to call it a lobby), there's a fireplace burning, leather couches, and snacks.  It looks like you're walking into a private club.   

I don't know how they stay in business.  I don't have reason to go there often, but I hardly ever see anyone else doing business.


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## terry123 (Jul 13, 2018)

My Bank f America branch is not going to have their drive through any longer.  They said they were having too many identify theft problems. I don't know why as you have to send your drivers license to them to cash a check anyway.  I don't like ATM's as I want to get my cash in certain denominations and am afraid of someone seeing my pin # so I guess I will have to go inside to get my monthly cash.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 13, 2018)

rgp said:


> Went to the bank yesterday. They no longer use the counter & tellers. Ya walk in & the available 'staffer' greets you, inviting you to his / her office. All business is done there. If someone pulls into the drive-up window lane, an alarm [chime] sounds.
> 
> Times they are'a changin'.......



That's the first I ever heard of that!  I don't go to the bank that often, but was there a month ago, still had a couple of tellers at the counter, drive up windows, and desks for more serious business.  Times are changin' for sure!


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## Butterfly (Jul 13, 2018)

My bank here has drastically physically downsized its main brick and mortar location and closed many branches.  Fewer and fewer people (and businesses) are doing their banking in person -- even back when I was still working I made all the deposits electronically and it saved me a heck of a lot of time and aggravation.


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## Camper6 (Jul 13, 2018)

The only drive thru that we have at any of our banks is to access an ATM machine.


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## gumbud (Jul 14, 2018)

every thing is changing - before our very eyes!! - we [over 65 ] try to keep up with it all but we will eventually fall behind!!


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## Lethe200 (Jul 15, 2018)

jujube said:


> I don't know how they [the banks] stay in business.  I don't have reason to go there often, but I hardly ever see anyone else doing business.



Banks don't profit from walk-ins. They profit from loan fees and interest.


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## OneEyedDiva (Jul 15, 2018)

jujube said:


> I keep an account at a bank like that.....I call it "boutique banking"....LOL.  When you walk into the lobby (and I hesitate to call it a lobby), there's a fireplace burning, leather couches, and snacks.  It looks like you're walking into a private club.
> 
> I don't know how they stay in business.  I don't have reason to go there often, but I hardly ever see anyone else doing business.


So much business is being transacted online and via phone/tablet apps these days JuJube, one hardly needs to leave home or work to bank.


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## rgp (Jul 18, 2018)

OneEyedDiva said:


> So much business is being transacted online and via phone/tablet apps these days JuJube, one hardly needs to leave home or work to bank.




Very true, and a peripheral result of it is again, less human contact...a move toward a more robotic / digital society.

I try to imagine America 50/100 years from now.......Remember the Jetsons?


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## KingsX (Jul 18, 2018)

gumbud said:


> every thing is changing - before our very eyes!! - we [over 65 ] try to keep up with it all but we will eventually fall behind!!




 I am intentionally no longer trying to keep up. I see where all this is going and I don't want to go there.

.


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## KingsX (Jul 18, 2018)

.

Most of the big banks are morphing to on-line only. Eventually they will close all but a few of their branches which will force their customers to go on-line only.

I know BBVA is so focused on-line that their branches might as well be closed because there is hardly ever a banker there to help customers. They even went so far as to offer higher CD rates on-line  and lower CD rates at their branches.  If you still use their [destined for destruction] branches you are treated like a second class citizen.

Meanwhile, I found a smaller bank with wonderful old fashion friendly human customer service. One of their branches is nearby. I opened new checking [free checks] and savings accounts and took out a 5 year CD at 3.5%.


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## KingsX (Jul 18, 2018)

jujube said:


> I keep an account at a bank like that.....I call it "boutique banking"....LOL.  When you walk into the lobby (and I hesitate to call it a lobby), there's a fireplace burning, leather couches, and snacks.  It looks like you're walking into a private club.
> 
> I don't know how they stay in business.  I don't have reason to go there often, but I hardly ever see anyone else doing business.




My wonderful nearby small bank is like that... a nice little sitting area with a mini-fridge with bottled water and cookies/candy.
Yes, it's like a friendly little private club... and customers are well-treated.  Maybe they stay in business because they cater to
those who like to be treated with respect like the older old-fashioned demographic that tends to have more money.

.


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## AZ Jim (Jul 18, 2018)

My bank is in a car.  The only teller is a guy with an east Indian accent who is named Al.  He only accepts deposits. He seems friendly, this sound fishy to you?  Should I ask for my $200,000 back, ya think?


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## KingsX (Jul 18, 2018)

AZ Jim said:


> My bank is in a car.  The only teller is a guy with an east Indian accent who is named Al.  He only accepts deposits. He seems friendly, this sound fishy to you?  Should I ask for my $200,000 back, ya think?




Unless it's an older person with dementia,  I don't understand why people fall for obvious scams.

.


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## OneEyedDiva (Jul 19, 2018)

rgp said:


> Very true, and a peripheral result of it is again, less human contact...a move toward a more robotic / digital society.
> 
> I try to imagine America 50/100 years from now.......Remember the Jetsons?


So funny you mentioned The Jetsons. My niece, who is not much younger than me, was just comparing our technology and lives to the Jetsons when we chatted at a family cookout this past weekend. My theory is that science fiction becomes science fact, this includes technological advances shown in movies and T.V. shows that we used to think too "far out" to become reality. Remember Star Trek when they were talking on phones with no wires?  LOL  Or even that they could send ships into outer space at all.


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## KingsX (Jul 19, 2018)

OneEyedDiva said:


> So funny you mentioned The Jetsons. My niece, who is not much younger than me, was just comparing our technology and lives to the Jetsons when we chatted at a family cookout this past weekend. My theory is that science fiction becomes science fact, this includes technological advances shown in movies and T.V. shows that we used to think too "far out" to become reality. Remember Star Trek when they were talking on phones with no wires?  LOL  Or even that they could send ships into outer space at all.




I remember the classic 50s movie,  "Forbidden Planet", where the astronaut's communication device was wired to his belt.
But the central part of that movie involved an alien machine that makes modern day computers and 3D printers look antique.

In the movie,  on another planet a long extinct but super-advanced alien civilization had left behind a machine that an earthling
discovered could increase his intelligence and manifest his material needs.  While he tried to keep the machine a secret, at the
same time,  an evil invisible monster stalked the planet and had killed all the other earthlings on the planet, including some of the 
astronauts who had come to rescue him and his daughter.  The problem was,  he didn't want to leave.  In the end, it was discovered
that while he was connected to the alien machine, it was picking up murderous thoughts from his unconscious and manifesting them
into the terrible invisible force that was doing the killing.  In other words, the machine released and manifested "monsters from the id."
The "id" was Freud's term for the impulsive, primitive, dark, deadly part of the mind.  Ironically, modern computers do the same thing.


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## rgp (Jul 20, 2018)

KingsX said:


> I am intentionally no longer trying to keep up. I see where all this is going and I don't want to go there.
> 
> .





 I still get my pension by paper check...The retirement system sends notice about once p/year that it would be so much more convenient to switch to direct deposit. Convenient for who? It will also IMO be less tractable .....no thanks!

I know someday it will become mandatory , I'll switch then.


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## KingsX (Jul 20, 2018)

.

When I speak with tech savvy young people, sometimes I tell them:  When you get as old as I am,
you might not be so eager to keep up with all the latest inventions... you might not be willing to have
that popular brain implant like most of your peers.  Ironically, some of them respond that they are
already tired of keeping up.


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## rgp (Jul 24, 2018)

KingsX said:


> .
> 
> When I speak with tech savvy young people, sometimes I tell them:  When you get as old as I am,
> you might not be so eager to keep up with all the latest inventions... you might not be willing to have
> ...




I have had a few indicate they are envious of the way [we] did things. I said to a few of them....then start the ball rolling to go back.

 Yeah i know , it will never happen.


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