The Bank of Columbia has gone high-tech – and a little sci-fi – with its brand-new Interactive Teller Machines, where real humans appear inside the machine to help you with your banking.
No, it’s not a magic trick. And no, you don’t need 3D glasses.
When you tap the screen, a friendly local teller pops up live – not from a distant call center, but from a nearby branch. You can chat, cash a check, make a deposit, or just say hello because, after all, they are local people and probably familiar faces.
The ITMs are located at the Jamestown Street branch with a stand-alone machine on Will Walker Road, and the bank’s throwing a grand opening party Friday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Expect the kind of excitement you don’t usually get at a cash machine.
Here’s what’s in it for you:
– Free T-shirts
– Certificates for free drinks from All American Brew or PJ’s Swirl & Twirl for the first 50 visitors at each spot.
– Hourly $500 cash drawings, and a $3,000 grand prize at 3:30 p.m.
Andrea Feese, the bank’s director of marketing and digital products, warns that lines might be long, but worth it.
“We’re giving away $10,000, so yes, the line will be longer that day. But it’s a fun way to meet our tellers and see what the new machines can do.”
Feese added that even non-customers should come try it out.
“We want everyone to see what an ITM looks like. Come through, even if you’re not a customer of ours and tap the screen, talk to one of our employees. Ask them questions about it,” she said.
The ITM provides several services that standard ATMs do not. Customers can make deposits, update account information, transfer funds and get assistance from a local teller, who will confirm identity using a debit card or driver’s license.
Another major feature is the ability to cash checks for account holders or for checks issued on a Bank of Columbia account. The ITM can dispense all denominations of currency.
Unlike traditional ATMs, ITM deposits are available immediately. Once a check is deposited, customers receive a printed receipt with check details included.
And yes, your standard “just-grab-cash-and-go” option is still there for those who like to keep their small talk between themselves and the keypad.
Live tellers will be available during regular banking hours:
Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m – 5 p.m., and Saturday 8:30 a.m. - noon.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
