You can count on it...

If I handed you a wad of money... no wait. If I held your
gaze with mine and slipped a banknote into your hand
saying "Here's 20, keep it." What do you think is the
first thing you'd do... even before thanking me?

You'd look at it.

Why? Because you'd want to confirm what just happened.

The question in your mind isn't that you think I'd cheat you
and only give you a 10 even though I said 20. It would just
be that you want to be dealing with the facts, that is, that you
were just given a 20 and now you need to be appropriately
grateful. After all, you don't want to waste twenty dollars
worth of gratitude on just ten bucks.

I remember when I was a first year apprentice at a machine
shop I was the one that did the 'lunch run'. I'd take the
lunch orders from the other blokes, and their money, and go
get the orders filled and hand out the change. On one occasion
the business owner asked me to get his lunch and as he finished
telling me what he wanted, he handed over some notes and small
change... "There's five bucks there."

On taking the money I did what I always did, I counted it in front
of him. He stood there as I counted it, and as I put it in my pocket I
glanced at him and I was surprised to see a rather incredulous look
on his face...

Boss: What... don't you trust me?
Me: I... it's... no, it's not that..
Boss: Hell, what a bloody insult!!
And off he stormed. I was 16 years old at the time and very
embarrassed by what just happened.

So if someone hands you a wad of cash, to bank, to spend or to
hide under the mattress, you count it... right? But not because
you don't trust them... but because you want both of you to be
working with the same knowledge, you both need to have the
same amount in mind. Especially if you come back with less change
than was expected.

Now I will add here that this rule of counting what is given doesn't
get strictly applied when one's life partner hands over money,
I mean it's your shared money and generally speaking it's not
the same as when you're boss gives you their money. Well that
depends on the dynamics of your relationship I guess, but you
know what I mean.

(Note to Butch: I've just noticed a whole bunch of irony in that
last paragraph... tehe.)


But here's what prompted this post...



My bank have just completed a refurbishment of the branch
that I use in the local shopping centre (mall, if you prefer), and
they have incorporated an 'open plan' styling to the layout of this
particular branch. I assume it will roll out to all branches
eventually. What's intrigued me is the fact that the Teller's counters
are island counters towards the back of the branch. Two stations
per counter and ne'er a wall in sight. Therefore anyone, if they've a
mind to, could just wander around behind the counter.

My first thought was security and how that's achieved without
a grill or cage like exclusion barrier, and that includes the fact
that there's nowhere for a pop-up screen... not that such a screen
would be of use on an island counter... so it all struck me as a rather
strange way to set up a bank branch.

Then, as I was being served, I saw how securing the cash was
achieved. There are two Tellers to a counter and between them
is a sturdy safe come money dispenser. The teller types in the
amount of cash and denominations required, on the terminal that
they are at, and the safe things makes a whirring noise then a
small panel in the top slides back and there's the money, as
ordered.

One affect is that, as a customer, one doesn't feel a great divide,
real or imagined, between one's self and the teller because of
the need to have security mechanisms between us. It kind of
implies an element of friendly trust.

TRUST... stay with me, we're getting there.

Another affect of the new bank layout and, in particular, the way the
cash is handled, is the fact that the teller no longer counts the
cash in front of you. They take it from the cash safe draw where
it has been mechanically counted and hand it to you with a smile.
On my first visit after my branch was refurbished, the teller informed
me that they no longer counted out the cash. When I asked why, she
explained that the cash counting machine was accurate and they didn't
need to count it a second time and thereby not delaying the customer
and those waiting in line for service.

So I wonder just how much time it actually saves.

The old way was that the teller would count out the cash with you, the
customer, looking on. The new way, well the way it goes with me at
least, is that I, the customer, counts out the cash with the teller
looking on. I don't leave the counter without counting the money.
Because if I was to discover a shortfall on the way out of the bank,
what do you think my chances would be of the bank believing that I
didn't slip some into my pocket and I am now trying to get more
money by dishonest means.

And I can guarantee that I don't count cash as fast as a teller that
spends a greater part of the day doing just that.

Therefore no time saved.

I don't have a problem with the layout of the branch, it looks rather
good actually. What bugs me about all this is the fact that I am
charged a fee to have a human to human transaction. But, what
is the other human doing that an ATM doesn't do?

Except give me an ingenuous smile.