To be upset my local bank is closing?

[CurlingChamp]

Our local bank is permanently closing in about 5 weeks. Aside from the general inconvenience that it will cause me, I feel sad at the social loss in my life.

I’ve used that bank mostly weekly, sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, for 18 years (I use it for business cash banking). There’s ladies working in that bank that have seen me through two pregnancies, and have watched my children grow up. I mean, I see them more than my own family!

The other day I was in the car with my DP and we drove past the bank. I said to him “I’m going to miss the bank when it’s gone, I’m really sad it’s closing.” He turned to look at me in amazement, laughing, and said “I wish I lived in your little brain!”.

Of course it’s not the only thing I worry or feel sad about, and of course life will go on, but am I am unreasonable to be sad about the bank closing?

Yes he could have been kinder

What did you need to take out so much cash for? I can't think of any transactions that require cash.

The last time I visited my local branch was to provide ID to change my hame, and that was 18 months ago.

I understand why people get attached though. Some people don't like internet banking, or they just like the human touch.

She isn't being denied bank services. She could use online, she just chooses not to.

And why do you need an ATM? Just pay with online or a card. Is there anything we need cash for these days? If a business refuses to take anything but cash, don't use them.

It feels like everyone is looking for excuses to keep banks when, in reality, they are not needed. There is a difference between wanting something and needing something.

Carrying large amounts of cash isn’t ideal I agree
what sort of business is it? Can’t you go cash only and have a sum up machine instead?

I should add my hairdressers have done this all the girls rent a chair and have their own machines - works much better for them no change/floats needed, no going to the bank and it’s the same round here as lots of them are closing down

Your husband sounds like a prick.

I feel for the people who worked in our banks, I don’t know what they ended up doing. I do see it was inevitable. There’s very very few
people who can’t use online banking (with disability software for some) and of course ATMs and EFTPOS took so much of their custom. I always wonder when
people complain they won’t use an automated till at the supermarket bc of job losses whether they’re quite as principled about going into the bank……..

It would likely be cheaper. People say card payments are expensive but they’re cheaper than they used to be. Plus people forget to cost out the time to cash up, go to the bank, get floats etc. That has a cost too.

Not everyone has the same cognitive levels regarding different situations.

Good for your mum but don't think everyone is the same.

Find a small building society! They’ll continue to serve the community

What do these people who cannot, for whatever reason, use online banking, actually do in a bank?

Our local town has lost all 3 banks and both building societies, a few months after the last one closed a banking hub opened where you can pay in and use the cashpoint thing for any bank. The 3 mornings a week a rep from each of the former banks is in - it suprisingly works quite well.

There are no banks left in our small town/village anymore, or even a post office. Looking on Streetview 10 years ago there were 3. The next town along used to have a Natwest & HSBC, they both closed a few years ago, Halifax closed last year and Lloyd's closing soon there.

It's happening everywhere. The bank I 'grew up' with and visited with my parents and had savings accounts, is on the latest list of closures.

Where these banks were, quite large units too, many are now empty.

From another perspective 'going to work in a bank' was a very viable and popular career aspiration at school! We even had staff from one of the branches in town come to talk to us about the roles available.

Yes, careers in 'financial services/banking' will still exist, but working in a physical high street bank - as a cashier or customer help desk - has been/is being made redundant.

We're losing them too. We have one in our city for only one of the banks we use. They last bank branch in our local shopping centre is closing soon.

I rarely use the branch, but went in to get help with DS's account as it wouldn't do what I needed online. I was met with a grumpy response that I should go away and do it online. I pushed, it took them 1 minute to fix. So part of the issue is services being forced online.

Yanbu.
We had 5 banks in our closest town. Now just have one-nationwide.
They all had cash machines outside and these were initially kept but now have been removed too so only access to a cash machine in town is also at nationwide.
3 out of the 4 closed banks are now empty sad looking buildings.
A friend worked in a santandar and they all hated having to work online from home with call targets, not very good remote systems and limited customer interaction and job satisfaction.
Sometimes you want to talk to a human being and in your situation its understable your going to miss going into the bank. ( your dh was very patronising!)
I also miss the old big post offices in towns. Now just have a small area that are in a small corner of whsmith(sorry TG Jones!)or the coop.
I was thinking how sad our town centre looked the over day.
I mean how many vape shops can really genuinely be viable in one town??!!
BUT people need to use the shops or banks otherwise you loose them.
I am conciously making an effort to buy things in shops rather than online but it isnt always feasible or convenient

But when 'working in a bank' was a viable career, we didn't have as many jobs in tech or telephone customer service, spas, dog walking, influencing, cosmetic surgery, tattooing etc. Things change as some jobs decline, others develop.

You’re relatively lucky - our local small branch of Barclays closed over 10 years ago!

This.

The majority of people don't visit bank branches so they aren't worth keeping.

If banks ensured that 1 bank remained in larger towns that everyone of all banks could use, perhaps that would help.

You’re probably right, think a lot are just taking money out in a warm place with a chat involved.
I think we need more outdoor cash machines that let us pay money in if the banks are closing.

I worked in a high street bank for 14 years and it was the happiest job I’ve ever had. Obviously many rogue customers who’d be a bit shitty, but on the whole it was lovely. I haven’t worked there for 6 years but still see customers out and about and they always say hello.
The amount of fraud and scams that we prevented just from knowing a persons regular routine was unbelievable, we even went as far as walking an elderly customer back to her house and fixing the pilot light on her boiler. Was a lovely job.

But why?

Who is carrying round masses of cash to be ‘paid in’?

Cheques (I haven’t written one for over ten years and god knows where my cheque book is!) can be paid in via apps.

High street banks simply aren’t needed - maybe one hub and a post office

Post offices have had a bit of a renaissance in the UK with all the internet shopping returns.and next to no UPS/FedEx etc stores. You can also pick up from there as an option with some delivery companies.

Hard to see how physical banks can make themselves relevant going forward.

If you are on the committee for clubs, or someone also mentioned church money upthread, it's generally not an online account as it's not a personal account, nor is it your business and invariably some people pay subs by cash or cheque so you have to go into the bank and pay it in. Fortunately we have a Post Office in town so DH uses that for two different clubs he's involved in.

Top and bottom of it is there isn’t the demand to keep them viable