ATM Center Facility

ATM Centre Facility

Earlier ATM centres were having facility of depositing cheque.  Pay in slips and alpins were also available and one can deposit the cheque anytime of the day or night.  Cheque drop boxes are cleared once in a day, normally around 10-10.30 AM. Many days I found that the number of cheques dropped in these cheque collection boxes range from 30 to 60. This facility was discontinued in most of the ATMs for the reasons best known to Banks.  Imagine 60 people are going to Bank to deposit cheque which could have been taken care of by one person spending some 10-15 minutes. Further in many banks cheque drop boxes are kept inside and one can deposit the cheque during banking hours only. They can very well keep the box inside with a facility to drop the cheque from outside. Why should a customer be forced to go late to his work, just for dropping a cheque? 

The other day I had to deposit a cheque with ICICI Bank. Before going to the Bank Branch I want to check up with ATM, whether the cheque drop facility is available in the ATM which is very close to my house. On the door behind the ATM machine, there is a sticker indicating Cheque drop box and also and also a small window to drop the cheque. However, I wanted to check with the Security staff and confirm that the facility still exists. (Earlier there was a box inside the room adjacent to ATM machine) There was no security around. I visited the ATM 2 hours later. Then also no security staff was visible. However, 2 people were doing some repair/maintenance of Air Conditioner. The door behind was open.   I went to check the box but there was no box. It was a very small room which is not even sufficient to put a cupboard. It was virtually used as a dumping place for waste and for keeping broom (Not AAP Symbol) and other cleaning material.

If the door was not open, I would not have found out this fauxpas. Had I deposited the cheque, it would have also gone along with the waste. I do not know why Bank is confusing the gullible customers by putting wrong stickers and labels (Or not removing outdated stickers) and taking them for a ride. Banks are also requested to restore the facility of cheque drop boxes in ATM counters. This will help to some extent reduce the congestion on the already busy roads and avoidable overcrowding in the bank premises. Rather than providing world class facility to the elite customers, banks should give priority for providing service to the common man.