# Issues with Bank of Ireland's policy of forcing customers use the deposit machines



## Marigold77 (10 Oct 2012)

These last months at some branches of B of I the cashiers have been at times very discourteous re the enforced use of the new deposit machines. 
At 2 branches in particular and at both now they are refusing to accept deposits at the counter. 

Last week I was behind a young mother who had a very overtired toddler in a pushchair. The cashier took 20 minutes showing her how to use the machine and then had to do the transaction the old way.. wee lad screaming the while.

I am old now and have disability and use a walking aid and using a machine means getting glasses out etc etc etc. The machines spit the notes back out unless they are ironed... Need three or more arms and I object strongly to being cheeked by cashiers.

I think that this is an attempt to prevent closures but I for one will be opening an account elsewhere soon. We pay enough in bank charges after all. Very poor customer service.


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## STEINER (12 Oct 2012)

You are dead right to consider changing banks.

I don't bank with BOI, but AIB.  My nearest branch in Lucan stopped the convenient Quicklodge facility for customers.  On my last visit, I was shown how to use a new high-tec lodgement machine.  It takes cheques and cash, reads them and credits your account.    I probably won't use it again.  There was zero privacy, everyone in the counter queue could see me entering individual cheques and notes. 

Now it is more convenient to use the Quicklodge machine in AIB Crumlin when I pass through.


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## itsallwrong (12 Oct 2012)

Unfortunately the new banking model in this country will be for the nippy techminded customer.
Anyone with kids or any sort of hinderance will be on the outside.

Personally I think a booth type of arrangement would be well appreciated by most customers. As OP pointed out - zero privacy.
How to use them is easy enough but they are very fussy on reading notes and cheques. 
You can hear the sighs behind you getting louder as you tease the cheque into the machine for the 5th time.....

Banks do not want customers in their branches and the customer is the one who will be at the end of the stick 
despite the 'changing to meet customers needs' line.  Most peoples banking costs the bank too much time and staff.

Weird as is may sound, some people like dealing with humans.


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## Sandals (12 Oct 2012)

Two letters of complaint in Galway Advertiser this week.

Also local BOI not doing the quick envelope drop of cheques/cash either (which is a huge disadvantage as our eldest used to drop them in after school) told two weeks ago an adult has to do it from now on.


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## Time (12 Oct 2012)

itsallwrong said:


> Unfortunately the new banking model in this country will be for the nippy techminded customer.
> Anyone with kids or any sort of hinderance will be on the outside.
> 
> Personally I think a booth type of arrangement would be well appreciated by most customers. As OP pointed out - zero privacy.
> ...



Indeed, most people prefer humans. I also detest those self service tills in shops. 

Back on topic. Many elderly people are now embarrassed to go into the local BOI because they have no clue on how to work the self service machine. Then there are the privacy issues as well. It would be a pain for someone with a large amount of cash or cheques.


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## shopkeeper (13 Oct 2012)

Marigold77 said:


> These last months at some branches of B of I the cashiers have been at times very discourteous re the enforced use of the new deposit machines.
> 
> I am old now and have disability and use a walking aid and using a machine means getting glasses out etc etc etc. The machines spit the notes back out unless they are ironed... Need three or more arms and I object strongly to being cheeked by cashiers.
> 
> I think that this is an attempt to prevent closures but I for one will be opening an account elsewhere soon. We pay enough in bank charges after all. Very poor customer service.



I recently resisted an attempt by BOI to entice me into completing the application process for an ATM card.  I kid you not, I was told by BOI staff that its not a matter of whether I wanted a card or not, it was a matter of me _having_ to have one.  We'll see whose right.....


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## Perplexed (18 Oct 2012)

As an ex banker I have to speak up on behalf of the frontline staff.  They have to inform you of bank policy even if they don't personally agree with it. If you have a complaint please put it in at a higher level as the ordinary staff don't have any input in framing policy. Some staff are getting dreadful abuse at the moment for something that is totally beyond their control.
As far as I can see there are a lot of accounts that actually cost the bank more than they're worth. Staffing levels are going to be greatly reduced in most branches and the bank will not be unduly worried if some customers move their accounts.
It's very likely that in the near future all banks will charge for their current accounts anyway.  They used to in the not so distant past but we've all gotten used to Fee Free banking at this stage and I know it's difficult to go back.
I am NOT defending these changes but they are happening whether we like it or not.  Some of the smaller BoI branches are going Cashless for two days a week shortly so the only option will be to use machines on those days for any cash transactions. You can just imagine what the queues will be like on the other 3 days so for your own sake it might be wise to get used to the machines.


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## shopkeeper (18 Oct 2012)

Perplexed said:


> You can just imagine what the queues will be like on the other 3 days so for your own sake it might be wise _to get used to the machines_.



.... Or start banking at an alternative bank/ credit union/ post office


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## SarahMc (18 Oct 2012)

I got some bank drafts today. Teller said from next week only bank drafts of over 500e will be issued. Stated the reason being all the 'grannies getting a bank draft of 10e for the grandchildren'. 

I was embarrassed at holding up the queue, the paperwork was so laborious, I imagine those grannies ARE costing the bank a lot of money. But I do wish they would just be honest and move wholesale to the PO like NIB for consumer banking. This gradual death is surely more frustrating for their customers.


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## mccarrd2 (1 Dec 2012)

I was shocked yesterday to find out that the min draft I could get was eur200. The person at the next teller was also in the bank do buy a draft. The bank makes money from selling drafts so I dont really understand this stance. 

Im all for never having to go to a bank teller and doing as much as possible online, in this instance BOI should offer a facility to buy a bank draft online. I've seen this before when I used ANZ in Australia.


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## RichInSpirit (2 Dec 2012)

*I like BOI*

My (2) local branches didn't get these New machines yet, despite a big advertisement for them a couple of months ago.
The advertisement said that there was going to be no cashier service on Wednesday and Thursday. So there was still going to be cashier service on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. It wouldn't hurt most people to wait a day or 2 to lodge money if they can't use the machine. 
I hate to be defending a bank but there are a heap of reasons I wouldn't contemplate moving from Bank of Ireland.
I'm a business customer and I have to pay charges anyway.
I have instant access to lodged funds. It can take 5 days for funds from a cheque to be available in AIB.
Transactions by Visa Debit are instantly visible with the 365 service.
Their recovery department are (mostly) friendly


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## Slim (3 Dec 2012)

I bank with Danske. I like to decribe Danske as '..the bank that likes to say Get Lost'. Local branch has closed. I never visit a bank branch now. My salary is paid into Danske, which handles all my DDs and I get cash via ATM card (the new card came out last week and is valid for only 1 year!). I maintain an account in my local credit union. If I receive cash or cheques for whatever reason, I can lodge to my credit union. I can get a draft from the credit union at zero charge. I can buy sterling at the credit union although the value is not so good.

I could also use my local post office for lodging although I have not done so. 

My aim is to become less dependent on banks and more self sufficient. I even considered not signing up to Danske's new charging system but the DDs/ATM alone would make it worth it for the time being at least. I also have one away at college so it's handy to transfer money.


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## maswala (5 Dec 2012)

Perplexed said:


> As an ex banker I have to speak up on behalf of the frontline staff.  They have to inform you of bank policy even if they don't personally agree with it.



That may well be true, but they still have to do so in a courteous and respectful manner and all too often that is completely lacking (and a letter of complaint is forthcoming to a certain bank!). 

 I don't want to start a new topic for basically the same question, but I do want to extend it a bit. For various reasons I want to leave BoI. I was looking into Ulster Bank, but their online application thingemy tells me that I wouldn't qualify for an overdraft with them and that would be awkward. So I am looking into other options. Good customer service and good rates, you know, the lot. I'd like to read more people's experiences with various banks. I am curious about credit unions as well. Not being from here, I don't really understand how they work.


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## leroy67 (5 Dec 2012)

personally knowing quite a few Bank of Ireland employees the longer term ones are distraught with the way the bank is heading. The feel the bank was built on customer service and now it's all down to saving on costs.What the new bank is looking for is customers who need other services, lending,deposits,home insurance,financial advice (ahem), foreign exchange as these are more profitable for the institution, what they don't want is customers doing lodgements,paying bills or asking awkward questions. Mantra is 85% privately owned, pillar bank etc.Wilbur Ross nice man that he is invested to make a profit so expect more changes!!!


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## DrMoriarty (7 Dec 2012)

On a related note, has anyone come across this latest twist? I recently closed my personal current account with BoI but continue to operate a business current account on behalf of a research association of which I'm the (unpaid!) treasurer. The account type is an "unincorporated association" — standard business fees, as far as I can see.

After a three-month free trial, as a small, not-for-profit organisation, we decided we couldn't justify the €250-odd annual fee BoI charges for online access and would instead rely on the quarterly paper statements since, if I occasionally needed to check activity/balance between statements, I could pop in to the local branch.

The mortified counter assistant told me last week that they're now under instruction no longer to provide balance information or a printout of transactions since last statement. In other words, if I want to find out the current balance — on a fee-charging current account, remember — I've to request an _ad hoc_ interim statement at €X per page.

I'm pretty annoyed at this and will be writing to the bank to request that they reverse this unilateral withdrawal/diminution of services. It's really becoming quite hard to see what value the bank provides in return for their quarterly and per-transaction fees, just to "mind" a rolling credit balance of €1K-€10K (on which they don't pay us a red cent of interest, naturally).

In recent years I've come to expect/assume the worst when dealing with _any _bank, and to remain vigilant in every detail of my dealings with them. I wouldn't shake hands with a banker, professionally speaking, without counting my fingers afterwards. I know that frontline staff are only following orders but, alongside some very nice, courteous and helpful individuals, I have also come across some terribly arrogant, high-handed and unrepentantly duplicitous sonsabitches (I find the attitude worsens sharply the higher up the ranks you go).  

Personally, I'm quite happy to avoid human contact as far as possible.


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## Brendan Burgess (17 Dec 2012)

A friend of mine went into a Bank of Ireland branch and tried to pay his Mastercard with cash. They told him that this was no longer possible. 

Did Bank of Ireland write to their customers telling them of this change? 

He argues that cash is legal tender and they are obliged to accept it. I told him that if he goes to the Head Office of Mastercard they probably have to accept cash, but Bank of Ireland are not obliged to do any bank transfers on his behalf, even if he is a Bank of Ireland customer. 

He wants to close his Bank of Ireland account now and move it to the Post Office. 

I said that it would be much simpler to set up a standing order and that he should get out of the habit of using cash and cheques.


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## Palerider (29 Apr 2013)

I've just experienced what Dr Moriarty outlined at my local BOI branch, it really is bizarre that according to the branch they have no facility to print off a mini statement or recent transaction history.

I get statements monthly but occasionally need to check if invoices issued have been paid, this account is small but that is not the point, their change means I don't know who has paid the invoices issued and who has not....and yes fees are being applied to the account.

As a result I am now extending credit farther than ever before as I await the arrival of the monthly statement to let me chase up my slow payers....and no I do not want their internet banking, it is an additional charge and also an unfriendly system to use as randomly as I would need to access it.


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## putsch (12 Jul 2013)

Having similar issues with an executor account I've opened with BoI. I'm finding it impossible to know when money is credited to it & to enable me to pay out to beneficiaries. I spent a few days uselessly trying to get online access until they told me that with that kind of account I couldn't get internet access. They did say I could queue up and ask the cashier what was in the account!  I did ask if they were trying to make the queues longer & she then went into a rant about lack of resources, temp staff, manager out to lunch etc etc. I really felt I was being set up to make a formal complaint.


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