The last cash register in a Sparkasse branch in the Dachau district closes. In the future, customers will have to withdraw their money from the machine in the main office at Sparkassenplatz.
Dachau - Hans Fritsche has been a customer of the Sparkasse Dachau for years. He always withdrew his money from the cash register in the main office on Sparkassenplatz - he has never used an ATM before. But it will soon be over: the till closes. It is the last cash register that still exists in the Sparkasse branches in the district.
Fritsche cannot understand this decision, because that would be a major loss of service for the 66-year-old. "Especially as a pensioner it would be important not to be able to withdraw money from an ATM but from someone," he says. "But I will probably not be alone with that."
The exact time has not yet been determined
The staff informed him about the closure of the till. "But we also informed about the change with posters and flyers," says the head of the HR and Marketing department at Sparkasse, Sabrina Steinau. The exact time has not yet been determined. Steinau speaks of autumn, on the notices it says the end of the year.
According to Steinau, the reason for closing the cash register is that “customers no longer need personal payment transactions because they do it online or at the machines themselves.” The staff is now used elsewhere. "We see an effective deployment of personnel from payment transactions to comprehensive advice for our customers," she says. In other words, customers want more advice on topics such as pensions, savings or security.
Sparkasse wants to provide customers with employees to operate the ATMs
In order to help people like Hans Fritsche with the changeover, the Sparkasse wants to provide them with employees to operate the ATMs. Experience has shown that “customers are proud when they have made it and are so self-sufficient,” says Steinau.
Customers can withdraw amounts of up to 1000 euros per day from the machine. In fraudulent schemes, such as the grandchildren's trick, the victims usually withdraw amounts greater than 1,000 euros. "That is not possible with the normal machines," says Steinau. If the customer still needs more money, he has to go to the discreet checkout, where an employee gives the money. "If there is any suspicion of possible fraud, the consultant speaks to his customer, as before," says the department head. “The most important thing is to talk to the customer.” Ordering sorts, larger amounts of coins or precious metal shops are also handled via the discreet checkout. However, if customers prefer to withdraw their money from their customer advisor, all they need to do is make an appointment. “The customer has his appointment within 24 hours,” says Steinau.
For Hans Fritsche, the closure of the till is no reason to change banks. "I will continue to be a customer, but a disappointed one."