Customer Service versus Risk
Over my lunch break Monday, I made a trip to the bank (technically a credit union) in order to withdraw some money from my savings account. I gave the teller, who seemed a little frazzled, my account number and showed my ID. She wrote the account number down on a slip of paper and the amount that I wanted to withdraw. Then she had me sign the bottom.
This was not the normal procedure. It turns out that their computer system was down and they were having to do everything manually.
But here’s the weird part… She gave me $500 cash without even looking to see if I had enough money in my savings account.
Get this… they were trusting me, the customer. (Technically, I am a “member” since it’s a credit union and not a bank.) Trust doesn’t seem very common in business to consumer transactions anymore… Although, I once ordered a custom mandolin strap from a guy who will build and ship off of an email, trusting that the check or paypal will come through in a few days. But I digress.
At some point, the credit union decided to take a risk and continue, as much as possible, providing services to their customers. Of course, the credit union (and I’m not saying which one) put themselves at great risk in doing so.
What if I somebody had told me they were doing this, and I strolled in asking for money without even having an account? What if I had made an honest mistake and overdrawn my account? ($$$ = overdraft fees)
I’ve been to an Intrust Bank before when their system was down, but I was only making a deposit. I have no idea if they would have given me cash.
So what’s your opinion? Was the credit union doing the right thing? Or were they exposing themselves to too much risk?