Has anyone noticed that Westpac (and probably others) are all replacing their tellers with ATMs? No more being greeted by a smiling teller asking "How are you today". Soon the banks will be like automatic car washes - no one there at all!
I guess that this is one way that they can save a few $$$ and use it towards paying Madam Kelly, the huge M$ bucks that she gets, Note I did not say EARN. Would like to see more $$$ going to our farmers who are suffering more that Madam Kelly, as she repossess their property.
Just left my Westpac, after wanting to withdraw a a rather large sum of $$$. I asked for it in $100, and was told that they did not have $100 green backs. I checked, yes I was in a bank, which was painted the corporate red colour, but no $100 green backs. Go figure that.
Jay&Dee
Yep !! It's coming, we have not been long back from a 3 month European trip, mainly based in germany, All the banks over there, are like that, You get One person behind a counter, and 3 - 4 Banking computers on one side of the room, and 3 -4 ATM machines on the other, You get NO face to face dealings at all
Banks are only interested in MONEY, and the personal touch went out years ago.I am with a credit union which took offense when I called it a bank. I said " if you act like a bank, and charge like a bank, then you are a bank!"The manager said they had looked after me- I replied that they had taken thousand in interest and charges, and charge like wounded bulls.BANKS SUCK!
-- Edited by bill12 on Thursday 11th of December 2014 06:26:02 PM
I go to the Commonwealth Bank at Stafford in Brisbane and have always had very good service. Always have been greeted when I entered and was rung up by them yesterday as to how I found their service. Maybe not all banks are the same. Have not noted a decrease in their staff or an increase in their ATMs.
All Banks are the same ... Owned by greedy shareholders that demand better returns on their investments so as the largest cost to a bank is their staff, they have to find ways to improve customer service and reduce costs.
After all, Ms Kelly was getting paid $39,000 A DAY!
If you want to see the direction Australian Banks are heading, call into a Bank of Melbourne branch or any refurbished bank branch and see the 'improvements' they have for you like a Concierge ... Seriously!
Bank of Melbourne (owned by Westpac) are so customer orientated, that when you want a brochure to take away to read, they can only email it to you! Go figure ...
Banks want (need) your money but the costs to actually serve you in person is too expensive ... so who do you blame?
Only the foolhardy has their hard earned in a bank these days, at 2.75% why would you, it's less than the inflation rate and you are 'losing' money.
After many years of loyalty to my bank (who have always been good to me), I finally withdrew my investments with them when interest dropped below 3.5%, it is now earning around 5% fully franked across 3 quality investment portfolios.
this investor trend will continue and it has to impact on future bank transactions as their cash flow becomes seriously eroded...interesting times ahead for borrowers..
its not just Banks.....look at Masters - they have no manual checkouts at all - they are all self service. They only have someone on the exit door to stop you from stealing stuff and a help (and that depends on the training and knowledge of each staff member) desk.
The supermarkets are the same. One of our large local ones has just been refurbished. They used to have 15 manual checkouts and a self service. They have almost doubled the size of the store, but reduced the manual checkouts to 4!!! Now you stand in line to be either served by a person or a machine. Oh - and they got rid of all the checkout staff they no longer needed rather than using them to make sure there weren't huge gaps in their display stands. We often now use IGA as they have plenty of staff at the checkouts and on the floor as well as being well stocked.
The corporate retailers are all the same - driven by smart, young senior managers with no concept of customer service and greedy MD's and shareholders.
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
ANZ only 'changed' their mind due to extreme pressure brought to bear by one radio personality who still has the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the hierarchy and fight for what is plainly wrong...the other banks are now being put through the same microscope and should also come to hand and act responsibly too...a win for freedom of speech, which is getting rarer by the day unfortunately.
I don't see the need to go to a bank very often, 99.9% of my banking is either online or contactless (using auto tellers), the last time I visited a bank was to sign a document about 9 months ago, I suppose I have been inside a bank less than 10 times in the last 15 years.
In saying that days of the traditional are long gone, because technology has developed to the point there is little need for them, as we develop more into a cashless society banks on every 2nd street corner are unnecessary. .....go into a shopping strip or centre after 5pm and every bank is closed, although some are open Sat morn, more often than not Banks are closed when the average Job Blow wants to use them or he has to rush around during his lunch break.
Be fair how often do you actually use contact banking, and for what reason.
