Overly friendly banks

I'm all for friendly service, but do banks really need greeters? I had quick errand today and three workers asked about my weekend (in detail) and two tried to get me to have their coffee. Crossed the line between friendly and way overdoing it. I thought they were gonna propose.

• I'd rather have free checking than a greeter or a free lollipop or Otis Spunkmeyer cookie, Wells Fargo.

• I despise overly friendly service anywhere including airlines such as Southwest. Give me civil and polite, not friendly.

• I like the more user friendly hours they offer now. I remember when they were only open 5 days a week, and Mon- Wed only until 3pm. My bank doesn't have greeters but if that was the trade off for better service over all I'd take it.

• How was your weekend, R2? Do anything special? Perfect weather for that great game! Way to go, team!!

• I, recently, moved to a new state, from L.A. to a tiny midwestern town, and went to the nearest branch of my big evil multinational bank. The teller whose slot? Desk? Window without a window? I wound up at made sure to let me know people wait until he's done with a customer even if other tellers are free because he's the heart and soul of the bank. He, also, explained that they are extremely technologically advanced so still require deposit slips unlike wherever I may have lived before.

• Love my B of A, and the "no deposit slip required" automatic teller that counts paychecks and bills. Many like the "human touch," and are too shy to ask for assistance. Also greeters know how to call security for backup. I think that's their real function, to ward off robberies. Are free lollipops only for kiddies? I'd rather have Otis Spunkmeyer cookies and coffee.

• my bank is SMALL. it has like 10 branches total. There are no greeters, the tellers say "hello" when I enter but most know me by first name anyway so it's not out of the ordinary.

• R5, what the hell does your post mean?

• U rh

• R8, what do you mean what does it mean? He, also, told me I could park anywhere except in front of the bank leaving my motor running.

  R5

• [quote]made sure to let me know people wait until he's done with a customer even if other tellers are free because he's the heart and soul of the bank R5, your teller sounds exactly like a guy who used to be at the tiny PO branch in my neighborhood! I haven't seen him there lately & was hoping he finally retired -- maybe he just moved to a bank job in your new town.

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• Hey, if they're friendly accept it and be thankful. I needed two rolls of quarters and stopped into a bank that I did not have an account with. The teller informed me that she couldn't make change. And I could not have a free calendar.

• My Teller tells me he loves me - but I know that isn t true

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• Every bank in my town is in a war to see who can add the most big screen televisions and comfy chairs to their lobbies. They look like furniture showrooms now, but no one ever sits in them.

• How nice for you. I get accosted by a bank guard every time I step into my bank, so I can then wait forever to get any service - Commerce Bank, Tower Grove Branch, St. Louis. Never mind my family has been using it for 54 years. It's still "Who the fuck are you and whaddaya want?" as the professional banker with the peeling nail polish pops her gum in my face.

• I've never seen greeters my bank. Sounds annoying but on the other hand they're providing work for people.

• I hate it when the help don't know their places and act overly familiar. Servants should go about their business in a polite, attentive and respectful manner and with minimal conversation.

  http://books.google.ca/books%3Fid%3Dd0ACAAAAQAAJ%26printsec%3Dfrontcover%26dq%3Dservant%27s+behaviour+book%26redir_esc%3Dy

• But wait, there's more...they also emailed me afterward. Sheesh. Good Afternoon James, It was really nice meeting with you today. Thank you for choosing the xx Wells Fargo Bank location. I value your business and appreciate the time you spent with me today. This is a friendly follow up email to make sure I have done things right for you the first time, followed through with all my promises, went out of my way to please and exceeded all of your customer service expectations. Please feel free to contact me should you have any comments or questions. Have a great day!

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• R18, Wells Fargo has had NUMEROUS customer service complaints, and even a lawsuit filed on behalf of disabled customers. Smarties are leaving it for the no checking account fees of B of A. Vegas Wells was a total nightmare; B of A the total opposite.

• I opened an account at TCF bank, and the lady who helped me open my account gave me her personal phone number (totally complimenting and hitting on me-I am a female). I then received repeated phone calls from the manager of the bank, wanting to talk about my 'experience opening the account'. I am assuming that they found out that she gave me her number...? I noticed that she doesn't work there anymore. Weird. She was cute, but had dirty fingernails...I could never date someone with dirt under their nails. Disgusting.

• R20, perhaps she was a scullery maid and presumed to rise above her station in life.

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• Ugh. I moved and had to go into the bank to reorder checks with the correct address. The teller fucked up the address, which I found out 4 weeks later when the checks hadn't arrived (they never showed up - I had to change my bank account number). Straightening it out was a nightmare. A week later I got a call from a customer service agent, who wanted to know if I was pleased with the service I got. I told her no and explained what happened, and asked her for help. She apologized, but said she couldn't do anything about it -- she didn't even work for the bank, but for a "customer service firm" that did random calls to customers. That was the kick in the ass I needed to join a credit union.

• That is really scary R20. Maybe she did it with other women and they complained.

• Does anyone use cheques anymore I use 12 cheques a year, for rent. Everything else gets paid online or at the ATM, or at the bank now that it has such great opening hours.

• R8 i sympathise. i too am none the wiser after reading that. enjoyed the read, granted, but none the wiser. with that, i wish y"all gnite.

• AM I the only holder of an account at a small bank?

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• r20 maybe she was a committed gardener? you wouldn't last a minute in dorset.

• R15 lmao. can't wait to visit that branch in SL just for the craic.

• R21 owns this thread. next!

• Jesus H. Christ. OP here. They just fucking called me! I didn't pick up but they left a VM. Did I mention what this bank visit was for? Was it to take out a mortgage? Invest my vast wealth? No. I had to reset the PIN for my ATM card. WTF. Stop it, Wells Fargo.

  OP%2C%20killed%20with%20kindness%20and%20getting%20pissed.

• OP - call the bank's 800 number/customer service and tell them to stop all marketing calls of any nature or you will file a harassment lawsuit against the bank. You could also just change banks, but then they'd keep calling you wanting to know why you dropped them. A grocery chain near me has the same kind of hypocritical, overtly friendly customer service. If you have a store card (and who doesn't?), it prints your name on the receipt and they MUST read the receipt and say "thank you, Mr Jones, you saved $XX today". What the fuck? You don't know me, I didn't give you leave to call me by my name. Just say "thank you, sir" if you must say anything at all. And if you purchase more than one item, they MUST ask you if you need help to your car. It's a quart of milk and two apples - do I look THAT incapable of carrying two measly little items! But they MUST ask these things or risk losing their job. And the funny thing is, they come off as far less friendly than the other big grocery chain whose employees just give you a generic "hi!" and "thanks!" when you check out. Much more real, and much more preferable. Don't any of these assholes realize how badly these practices are backfiring on them?

• I bank online with ING and haven't owned a checkbook in years. If someone happens to give me a personal check, I can simply upload a photo and it clears within a few days. The most obnoxious over-friendliness/nosiness I've experienced lately was at an Enterprise car rental. I was back in my hometown for a funeral and got grilled (in a chipper, talk-about-the-weather way) by two different clerks about why I needed the car. Is this a Patriot Act thing? The funeral wasn't for anyone particularly close to me, but the intrusion would have been supremely irritating if I'd been there to identify a loved one on the slab or something.

• I'm not the friendliest person ever, but I am overly polite and try to be kind to everyone. However, it's so absurd to me how "overly-friendly" often translates into "overly nosy." I've gotten asked nosy questions about my job, family, what all my siblings do, where I'm going on vacation, my living situation, etc...questions I would never think to asked someone I barely knew. I'm thinking...why do you need to know what my brother does or how long and his wife have been married? With my friends, I've never been asked these questions...it's hard for me to change subject and often I'll just say "I don't know." I remember a stretch of unemployment, when this nurse (who is nice and I like her, but...) kept asking me about how long I'd been applying, where I was applying, what stage I was in the application process, and other things. I was kind of like WTF. Obviously it was a sore subject and I didn't want to talk about it, but I would never grill people like that. When I'm asked these questions, it has nothing to do with my reason for business. And then some of these people try to use the information to keep up communication - "Just wanted to know how the job search was going!" Stuff like that. Am I alone here? Is overly friendly also overly nosy? Am I too sensitive? I've learned to be very guarded in what I share with people.

• I haven't been to the bank since about 2003. Don't you have online banking?

• Soon after I bought my house, the mortgage was bought by US Bank. The rates are fine, so we're staying with them for now. Their service sucks though. They have a greeter, and it's awkward because she will cheerily greet me from her little 'station' when I come in, then I have to stand there for five minutes right by her while I wait for the ONE teller to finish up with granny who has a million questions. Great use of resources there.