BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Senior Issues Seniors should get to know their bankers

As an Adult Protective Service Investigator, I am impressed with how many of our fraud cases are caught by tellers and other bank employees that have come to know the senior. When they see something alarming, they call the senior and offer help, or call us and report it.

If you're a senior, have you developed a relationship with an employee at your bank? What kinds of tips would you give someone that wants to develop such a relationship with their banker?

Well, Pam, I am not a senior but I just wanted to say that this was a great article. You demonstrated the benefits to maintaining human banking relationships in this time of online banking.

Thanks, Sandra, for visiting the forum! I love online banking, but yes, the human connection adds a layer of confidence that computers can't compete with. There's nothing like calling a specific number and being able to connect with a person you've met and know. Thanks for your comment!

Hello there,

Here in South Africa in general you have to have a lot of money or owe the bank a lot of money to be able to have any kind of a chance to build up a personal relationship with a human machine at the banks. And in order to owe the bank a lot of money you need to prove that you don't need it.

I am afraid I am a tad cynical when it comes to believing the advertising and empty promises made by these financial institutions.

As you can imagine I am not wealthy enough to have a personal relationship with the bank. And judging from the comments one comes across in the media or amongst friends, an extremely high percentage of people are in a similar situation.

The current banking system makes it very difficult for you to be a customer - the computer rules and if the computer says it, well then it must be true.

You can stand on your head but it is more often than not impossible to question the way things are done. A person just has to be one of the mass and accept the status quo, press 1 if you want an answer to something or go through a full menu offering all sorts of numbers to press that will finally ask you to press 9 if you want something else. It is either this or you must have a lot of money and patience to do anything.

Most people just give up and walk away most of the time.

Oh dear, what a Sad Sack I sound. Sorry! Gone are the days when banking was a personal service industry. They just pretend to be and charge you for breathing every step of the way. It's legalised theft. Hmmm.

Cheers

Hi Lestie Mulholland, and thank you for visiting the Senior Issues forum! It sounds like the banking system in South Africa is mostly automated, from what you describe.

I do have some familiarity with that system. I once opened an account online, but then the regular branches wouldn't recognize my account, so I could only interact with the computer online. I ended up closing my online account. Before I opened another account, I visited the branch and spoke with the representative for new accounts. I explained that I wanted a person to speak to when I had questions. That representative gave me the names and numbers of three people that would deal with specific things. It has worked out great.

Once, my checks were stolen without my knowledge. My representative called me at work and told me that checks were coming in to be cashed for large amounts. They were not my normal checks, so she wanted to know if she should honor them. Of course I told her not to. So the effort of getting to know her paid off for me. I wonder if you might find a small bank or credit union where you can connect with a specific person?

Pam

Hello Pam and all,

Yes you are right, as with anything internationally, a huge amount of nearly everything is automated. But while I stand by what I moaned about ... ! ... it was a somewhat dyspeptic approach, tut.

How ever one defines enough - if you have enough money you would be able to find this kind of personal service here in South Africa.

When I was in business in another lifetime, I had the personal interest in all and indeed, intelligent and caring people looked after me at the bank - I had a Bank Manager (a now redundant title) to whom I could speak and laugh and joke and who came to visit me. Today? no chance.

That was a smart and caring person who alerted you to your cheques being stolen - the kind of person anyone would want to have as an employee or on their team.

I believe it is Nordstrum that has that approach to employment where they say something like "We don't train our people to be nice, we just hire nice people." Well nice is a good word here in context - but one could substitute others like 'caring', 'intelligent', 'conscientious' etc.

Anyway you are so right, seniors should get to know their bankers ... and if the bankers do not want to be known, then if possible, search around until you find the service you need.

Cheers now,