gambling at the ATM!

[damson]

Reported in today's [London] Times:

Cash machine customers get added thrill of a flutter

A Japanese bank is offering automatic tellers with a built-in slot machine... In contrast with most other big economies, the Japanese banking system has been exceptionally slow to introduce 24-hour ATMs, and still imposes banking charges on anyone using the machines after office hours.... "Usually, withdrawing cash from an ATM is a very tedious chore,” a bank spokesman said. “We wanted to add a little excitement to this experience, and we thought introducing a slot machine-type game, which everyone knows how to play, would be a good idea.” ... The bank claims that the odds are good, meaning that it expects many customers to be coming into branches to collect their winnings. This, admits Ogaki’s managers, is all part of the plan. Having introduced cash machines so late and reluctantly, banks are now worried that their convenience will mean that customers never bother queuing to deal with a human teller again — a point of contact that has always been central to the banks’ ability to push new products and services to their customers... Schemes introduced by rivals include accounts for dogs and massages and aromatherapy.

The thing that amazes me about it is they're trying desperately to keep their customers coming to the branches, whereas Irish banks are trying equally hard to make us all go away and use electronic banking.

 

[Suzieq]

Speaking Of Wanting You Or Not Wanting You To Come To/use The Bank - Aib's Wkk Poland Bank Actually Charges Customers Who Don't Use Their Accounts - I.e. Make Transactions

 

[MonsieurBond]

Irish banks are trying hard to make us all go away and use electronic banking

Reported in today's [London] Times:



The thing that amazes me about it is they're trying desperately to keep their customers coming to the branches, whereas Irish banks are trying equally hard to make us all go away and use electronic banking.

I was surprised to see a notice in AIB at the Quicklodge machine the other day saying that from 1st July, only preprinted lodgement dockets will be accepted, i.e. the ones you get at the back of your cheque book. So, you won't be able to lodge occasional money to other accounts or to to other people's accounts!

Apparently, this rule is not yet enforced, but it seems to be yet another attempt to deny service to walk-in banking customers in favour of electronic banking. Now if only their electronic banking was actually free, I might not complain so much.

 

[damson]

They'll only accept the pre-printed dockets at the Quicklodge, or in the branch as a whole?

Honestly, you really get the feeling that they don't want customers at all!

 

[MugsGame]

Lots of customers (including me) don't have cheque books so won't have preprinted dockets. Which suggests this limitation will only apply to the lodgement machines. Which are unreliable anyway given previous threads - don't use them. For counter service you can present your banklink card with lodgements to avoid filling in a docket.

 

[MonsieurBond]

Lots of customers (including me) don't have cheque books so won't have preprinted dockets. Which suggests this limitation will only apply to the lodgement machines. Which are unreliable anyway given previous threads - don't use them. For counter service you can present your banklink card with lodgements to avoid filling in a docket.

Yes, this new rule applies specifically to the self-service lodgment machines.

I tend to use these a lot rather than queuing up, but may switch to counters lodgements now.