Banking blues

The only time I’ve been in a branch in the last 10+ yrs is to sort out my late husbands accounts and when I had to arrange an overseas transfer. Some people aren’t comfortable doing online banking, each to their own.

Although I do on-line banking, I don't have the mobile app, so I only normally go to the bank to pay in cheques. Sometimes use the scanning machine in the bank, but even these on occasion don't accept some cheques, so they have to be paid in over the counter. My bank is always busy, always loads of people in there, and often have to queue. And some people don't trust on-line banking.

My husband empties his small change into a dish in the bedroom and just leaves it so about once a year I count it and pay it in. That's about the only time I go into the bank.

I worked there for 19 years and the last few (when we had targets) were very stressful so I dislike going back in there.

My bank closed a couple of years ago. Now I have to go to the Post Office to pay in cheques, to the ATM to get cash in whatever denominations it decides to give me, and to another town if I need to get something dealt with that only a branch can do.
I do use on-line banking, I have no choice really:-(

Why would you want to sit indoors and do all your banking when you can get out in the fresh air, have a walk to the bank and hopefully speak to the bank cashiers and any one else that you meet? I know which option I prefer - the healthy, social one!

I often visit my bank and it’s always busy. I like the face to face and last year I took a very old Scottish note in and they swopped it. Doubt I could have done that online. Also it gets me out and about.

My bank is always busy too.
I get paid cash, so pay some of that in, and as I put my loose change in a pot I often have bags of coins to pay in. I don't bank online, through choice and I only have an old basic payg phone, again through choice.

I visit my bank roughly once a month - to get cash. It is always busy and I usually have to queue. Not everyone has, or wants, the app on their mobile phones. I do online banking from my laptop but only use my phone to make phone calls and send texts! It's because so many people are using apps and online banking that so many branches are closing.

I would never use a mobile phone to do banking, they are not secure enough. DH uses his computer at home to do all the mundane stuff.
There are no tellers in our bank, just machines which annoys me as my eyes and fingers are not what they used to be.
How dare they dictate how we will conduct our day to day business.

I miss going into our bank. Having paid in on a weekly basis for years, I consider lots of the staff almost as friends. I know the names of their children, grandchildren, their happinesses and their sadnesses (are they words?) but since dh retired we gave no need and the branch is really busy if we do have to go in.

And that is why a lot of places are now without banks GabriellaG54. I agree with harrigran why should the banks who are using our money dictate how we conduct our business. There are things which cannot be done on line and need face to face contact. Some people for whatever reason are not on line and need a bank.
You do sound a little disparaging of people who choose not to bank on line, that is their choice and we still have some freedom of that last time I checked.

I totally agree with your last sentence sodapop and you put it so well.

I was a bank cashier all my working life. I loved the job years ago, but was so pleased to retire six years ago as it just wasn’t enjoyable any more, all targets, procedures changing on an almost weekly basis, few staff and the ones there doing jobs that years ago would have been done by managers on a lot more money than we earned.
As a previous poster said, so many people now only use the bank for more complicated procedures and queries which I can well understand, but once the bank closes, that avenue disappears and that is when the personal touch is missed.

We are lucky to still have a choice of several banks in our town, and we still use them. Not daily, or even, regularly, but we do have a choice, at the moment. Where our son lives, there are no banks at all. There is a facility for using a cash machine, one only, or the Co-op for other things.
I agree with Sodapop and Harrigran. I use my tablet/IPad for banking, if I need to, but do like visiting our bank, having had an account there since 1957/8, but as someone else said, there are mostly machines and only very few actual staff in the branch these days.
What I really hate about the on line banking, is the messages that pop up asking if you would like a Live Chat!

I rarely go into a bank . We have never been paid cash in over 25 years of business and I can’t remember the last time I had a cheque , so no need to go into a branch.

My dad ( in his 80’s) loves to visit the bank and makes a big thing of drawing money out, no matter how small an amount . Can’t really see a problem .

I don't think standing in a slow moving queue in a bank is healthier than doing my banking business online, sitting down, at a time that suits me.
I get the point about social interaction and fresh air. And I do feel online banking discriminates against older folk. But I find it preferable.

My bank's closed down. When I had a query I had to type it in and wait for a response and carry on the 'conversation' like that. The writer suggested I use an app but I'm not happy with that as they can be hacked. The writer also said that banking on line was to improve their service! Needless to say I gave a 'strong' reply!!! What utter nonsense.

I love my banking apps but I use Metro Bank (no queues and a machine to count small change) which also has personal service in our High Street. The best of both worlds.

I’ve banked on line without problem for 20y now. However I don’t use a smartphone (choice) so if I receive a cheque (infrequently) I need to pop into the bank.

Both DH and I bank online. I like it because I can easily keep a close eye on my finances. However, we wanted to open a new joint account a couple of years ago and, while the online system said we could do that - one of us to open the account, the other to be added - it wouldn't let us. Part of the problem was that we hadn't opened an account since the new money-laundering regulations came in, so they wanted to verify identities. That meant a trip to the nearest branch (7 miles away, but at least reachable), not once but at least 3 times! Eventually they sorted it out, but clearly online banking has its limitations and with so many banks closing there's going to come a time when real difficulties arise with regard to getting to a branch when necessary.

Online banking - so easy

My parents, both in their 80's, do all there banking at their local branch. Neither parent is tech savvy [ or wants to learn ]. For them a mobile phone is for emergencies only. I have no idea what they will do if there local branch ever closes.

All my own banking is online, I still don't use my mobile for banking, though my son does. Online banking is okay until something goes wrong, then it can be difficult to find answers. This is where I miss being able to pop into a bank and have a chat.

I do all my banking online, but would never use my phone for anything to do with my money. I use ATMs for cash. Banking by smartphone gives you access to your banking details, but it also gives it to anyone else who gains access to your phone. Some banks offer specific software to protect your phone, but it's too dodgy for me.

I wouldn't bank online for starters.
Last week I visited my bank to pay the electric bill and let one of the staff go through the motions on the machine. It disallowed her, even though I'd put my pin in. It was coming out of a different account, so one which I couldn't have done online either !

In the end, it had to be done manually, so explain that one where an account isn't directly accessible unless through a transfer to current account.