The business of banking banking is (and i’m sure has always been) a challenge. It is an ever-evolving industry. My grandparents can remember the days when the ATM did not exist. My grandpa loved to tell stories about waiting in line, HIGH rates of return, and of course walking 3 miles in the snow to get to the bank. On top of all this I can only imagine behind the scenes what it was like without our beloved computers!
The industry as a whole is really moving towards electronic touch, high efficiency, and well… less people. The bank will forever need people to sell products but I think that they are beginning to forget about needing people to service these accounts that are being sold. A few years back Bank of America installed in Times Square state-of-the-art teller machines that look and interact like a human being, but .. well .. it’s a computer!
It’s almost like Siri becoming your new teller! It’s crazy and at 23 years old still a challenge to get a solid grasp upon. At 26 I think that most people assume that I do all of my banking online. A portion of that is true, I do check my balance online as well as on a mobile app provided by my bank, but other than that I like the old fashion way. I balance a checkbook to the penny and pay all of my bills by check!
Even though technology is meant to make our lives easier I do think at times that it’s making it harder for some. As we go to machines to handle the daily work at the bank where does that leave our tellers? Why hire bodies when a machine can do the same work (or so most industries are saying). I am all about turning off a light when i’m not in a room or even buying off-brand groceries to save a few dollars but knowing that hundreds, thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of people may lose their jobs simply because I find it convenient to deposit my paycheck via my cellphone just doesn’t sit well with me.
