I ventured into the local branch of my bank yesterday.
This has been my bank for over a decade.
All of the tellers were new.
I needed a photo ID to make a deposit and check on my balance.
The branch manager was new.
Gone are the days of walking in and chatting with the tellers and/or the branch manager.
Also gone are the days of running into the bank’s employees at the Farmers’ Market or around town.
They don’t live here.
They are just passing through.
I know that I should be grateful that the bank is still open when so many branch offices are closed.
Also, I should be grateful that I can walk into the branch without an appointment.
Yet, I miss the old days.
The staff knew me and I knew them.
Sigh.
Lori Greer in Portland 
The number of security checks nowadays just to access information is phenomenal. It seems only to annoy the average legitimate customers and not stop, nor deter, the hackers and criminals.
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I get it. When Amazon took over Whole Foods, my local store went from feeling like a peaceful oasis where the clerks and I could chat at check out to a food factory. I hate it. Used to have a charm and local flavor.
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Dear Lori. How I relate to what personal friendliness I also miss. I feel like only a number. The Fellowship I have been in for 40 years has closed its small personal banking facility. I do not travel well with all the online stuff so certainly have lost my spontaneity of connection. I too must focus on what I still have and not on what is GONE. Love and Blessings to you this day.
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So sad it is now like that, also photo ID to make a deposit seems strange
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They are attempting greed on a new level dear lady, we are being treated as they feel. Greedy people are afraid of losing their money, things, life…so they take a step back away from everyone so that they can’t take ‘their’ stuff. But in that very action they distance themselves, tell you your not to be trusted and treat you like a robber…and create it within themselves. I think each community should start up their own banks, run by those very communities and treat people and their money just like they are ‘locals’ and have a chat at the market or stand by them at the bus stop. That is friendly money, and it will take on that energy that it is used with. Ask yourself, ‘which banker would you send a Christmas card to?’ 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋
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We’ve found that it’s much the same thing here too. Kind of sad in a way.
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Oh can so relate …. I have worked in hospitality for 30 years. Always Hotel Related but had a moment of madness about 4 years ago and accepted a job as Customer Service Manager in a Bank. I toughed it out for 2 years and finally quit even though I did not have another job lined up because the manner in which
I was directed to mange the customers went against my very sales/customer service Fibre!!
I was constantly reprimanded for talking too long with customers who had a legitimate problem , not moving them on to ATMs and accepting cheques or allowing withdrawals without ID when I knew perfectly well who these long time customers were .
I fear for the children today who seem to be growing up in a world where not only is there no human interaction but now more and more not even a telephone interaction . Will we have cyber great grand babies ? 🤷♀️
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I have been in the hospitality industry for 30 years. A few years ago during let’s call it a bout of temporary insanity; I accepted a job as manager customer service in a bank.
I toughed it out for two years and then finally quit even though I did not have another job lined up. I left because the customer service direction went against my customer service/sales very fiber.
I was constantly under review because I spent too much time speaking with customers who had legitimate problems and not moving everyone onto ATM banking fast enough or because I allowed customers to withdraw money without ID even though I knew exactly who these long time customers were.
I don’t know at which point our age of information wiped out the human touch however I fear for the future. Today’s youth not only do not deal with humans face to face however now it is a rare find to be able to actually telephone somewhere. Will we have cyber great grand babies? 🤷♀️
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