Bank of America's New ATMs Harm Brand's Image
Dear Bank of America and Microsoft,
Your recent upgrade to the new state of the art ATMs which, among other things, can accept check and cash deposits without an envelope has been, shall we say, less than pleasant. Apart from all the disconcerting noises and beeps they make, did you really have to assign the Windows XP Ding sound to the machines which plays every time a button on the touchscreen is pushed? Hello?? That's the same sound everyone in the world hears when they mis-click or make an error on their PC.
Don't you think choosing that sound to represent common function on the ATM was, well, pretty stupid? Not to mention incredibly disconcerting to the person using the ATM? Do you really want everyone to think they are making an error every time they push a button? Was this some sick joke your programmers decided to play on the unsuspecting public? Would it really have been that difficult to have pick something else from the hundreds of other less disconcerting system sound God forbid, create a new one?
The last thing I want to feel when I'm using an ATM is that I'm making a mistake or, worse, it's making a mistake. Which brings me to my next topic...
Last night, I went to the ATM to deposit a nice fat check (thank you very much Adrants advertisers) and what happens? The fucking machine crashes! Takes my check. Takes my card. The screen goes bright red. The pitch black. Then the usual gray error box pops up informing me the "system is shutting own." What the mother fucking fuck? ATMs don't shut down mid-function! That is simply not acceptable.
This is not the only time odd behavior has been displayed with this new generation of Windows XP-powered (it appears) ATMs. They are slow. They hang. They do illogical things. Hmm. Kind of like Windows 98 did on a regular basis.
It's one thing for errors to occur when using one's computer. It's entirely different when it comes to using an ATM. ATMs, which are the lifeline to one's financial existence, simply DO NOT FUCK UP. Prior to this new breed, they never did. The worst that would happen is that they close because a human (yes, a human) was on the other side of the machine taking money out or restocking the cash. It was annoying but you knew exactly what was going on.
Having your card and your check sucked into the ether without having any idea what's going to happen to it or when its going to clear (the bank was closed, of course, as they always are) is far more than annoying. It's maddening.
Oh yes, the bank opened in the morning and I was there to straighten it all out. But that wasn't my plan. I have work to do. I don't have time to waste fixing an error that never should have happened in the first place.
We don't need Vista-style bells and whistles on ATMs. We just need them to flawless take our money and give us money. When we need it. Where we need it. In a hassle free manner. And certainly not crash mid-deposit. That's just insane.
Comments
And what's worse is having to deposit one check at a time--each time having to verify that, yes, you'd like to deposit another check and, yes, the total is correct. It takes 10 minutes just to deposit three checks. Sheesh...
Hmmm. Windows AND B of A? I'd say you're double fucked. I can tell you horror stories about the bank of satan, I mean B of A. Horror stories.
You didn't used to walk to school uphill, both ways, in the snow by chance, did you? Loosen up the reins, gramps. This technology is awesomely convenient - and I hate Bank of America. Get over the bleepitty bleeps it makes. Let me guess, you hate cell phones too, what with their stupid buttons that let you call anyone from anywhere.
Sorry about the double posting. Stupid technology.
I happen to love the new BOFA ATM's!! It gives you proof of deposit with a copy of the check (how cool?!), which is fantastic since they've lost checks of mine before. Who cares about the beeps? Do people just complain about everything just to complain?
The flash-animations of deposit-examples on these things are god-awful as well. They must've outsourced those to a kindergarten, it's embarrassing.
I was given a check the other day and it had a fancy illustration on it. The new machines couldn't read it. And there's no option to put it in an envelope and insert it that way. I had to find an old-style ATM to deposit my check.
There is no stupid technology, only stupid people.
Just a tad bit of a complaining cry baby are we? So unhappy that you made an association between a Beep and failure... pavlov's dogs would be pround of you.. Perhaps if you were all the wiser and if your financiall life depends so heavily on a checkcard, god forbid who stick it into any machine it could lodge or stick in, why not deposit your check at the bank inside or at a drive through window, God forbid your life be so busy and you so important that depositing that paycheck isnt worth your time..
Another person frustraited with spoiled rushing idiots,
Anon
DONT DEPOSIT CASH IN ANY ATM!
I needed to deposit some money in my checking account fast before i went to work,so i decided to use the atm. Really bad idea! I put $2,000 cash into the atm(all $100 dollar bills).The atm counted the money and came up with the correct amount,but when it printed out my receipt it only showed i had deposited $300 dollars.I waited for the bank to open,since they were not open yet,and then went inside and told them what happen.Since no one at the bank can do anything with the atm i had to call a 1 800 number and file a claim.So i am $1,700 short now & it could take them up to 45 days to investigate my claim.They will however credit me if the issue is not resolved in 10 busines days,but i need my money now not in 10 days! Anyways just wanted to warn everyone else,dont make the same mistake i did.
DONT DEPOSIT CASH IN ANY ATM!
I needed to deposit some money in my checking account fast before i went to work,so i decided to use the atm. Really bad idea! I put $2,000 cash into the atm(all $100 dollar bills).The atm counted the money and came up with the correct amount,but when it printed out my receipt it only showed i had deposited $300 dollars.I waited for the bank to open,since they were not open yet,and then went inside and told them what happen.Since no one at the bank can do anything with the atm i had to call a 1 800 number and file a claim.So i am $1,700 short now & it could take them up to 45 days to investigate my claim.They will however credit me if the issue is not resolved in 10 busines days,but i need my money now not in 10 days! Anyways just wanted to warn everyone else,dont make the same mistake i did.