topic Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait in Community Chat

Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

BoopOMatic — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:58:21 GMT

If you walked into a bank to open a new account, and you walked up to a teller who then checked on someone in the back and told you "they're on the phone," and directed you to have a seat and wait - how long would you wait to be taken care of?

There's only one other customer in the place.

Ten minutes?

Twenty?

Thirty?

How long would you wait?

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:17:05 GMT

Until the representative was available to assist me, I don't want to make another visit to the bank.

When I schedule an appointment for assistance, the representative is waiting for me to arrive. I even have the option of choosing my favorite representative.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

phoenixbrd — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:05:37 GMT

Depends on how important it is to see a banker....I also agree with @deepwaterdotter ....don't want to have to return.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

shoptilyadropagain — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:07:45 GMT

Probably 20 - 30 minutes because I'd hate to come back another day and be in the same situation. I've had to call my bank's customer service rep and it took at least 10 - 15 minutes over the phone. I've also shown up at the bank and the rep is with another client so I've waited probably close to that amount of time.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Spacrazy — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:08:24 GMT

Unless I was offered a beverage while waiting (coffee, tea, water bottle) or a free promo gift (key chain, calendar, drink koozie, pen) I'd give them ten minutes.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

FancyPhillyshopper — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:08:31 GMT

The bank administration staff are limited in number, and responsible for diverse and sometimes, very difficult customer issues (fraud, IRA, morgage application, check reconciliation, etc.).

I will wait, and I have waited up to forty-five minutes, especially if I had an urgent bank issue that needed to be completed that day. The bank management staff will not go home until they address all of the customers' requests.

Tellers just have minimal training and cannot do many of the other tasks, nor do they necessarily have the authority.

I worked in a bank as a teller for a while when I was much younger, so I know a lot about bank responsibilities.

One way to avoid sitting and waiting for less urgent issues (like opening a new account), is to call and make an appointment.

I really like my current bank, and I know most of the staff by name.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Mindy D — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:11:32 GMT

@BoopOMatic wrote:
If you walked into a bank to open a new account, and you walked up to a teller who then checked on someone in the back and told you "they're on the phone," and directed you to have a seat and wait - how long would you wait to be taken care of?

There's only one other customer in the place.

Ten minutes?
Twenty?
Thirty?

How long would you wait?

I've had to wait an hour or more in a similar situation, but not because the person was on the phone. It was because many customers had signed in to be helped. There were comfortable seats in the waiting area and two persons handling these accounts.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

bikerbabe — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:13:44 GMT

Around here they ask you to make an appointment to open a new account. If you walk-in, you will wait an undetermined amount of time.

Limited employees to help you plus the people who made an appointment as requested are ahead of you. Not everyone can handle opening new accounts.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Kachina624 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:16:13 GMT

Banks now want to do everything by appointment. You probably should have called first to see if an appointment was advisable. If an extended wait was likely, I'd make an appointment and return, expecting to be seen immediately.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

They CallMe MRWILKES — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:35:29 GMT

Not even 2 minutes. Most legitimate banks allow you to open new accounts online, no wait.

I would assume that this institution really doesn't want my business, and I would go elsewhere.

I wonder why seeing a person is necessary? This is 2023, not 1953.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

beckyb1012 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:20:21 GMT

I would do 30 if I was on my own time and nothing else scheduled. If I went to all the trouble to go down there for something I need for myself I would try to be patient for my needs.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

faeriemoon — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:20:44 GMT

I think I'd call first and make an appointment.

And if I called first and made an appointment, they'd have ten minutes. Then I'd be out of there.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

santorini — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:26:09 GMT

I would wait until called. Most likely that 'call" was a telephone conference meeting so it's not like he/she was on the phone figuring out what to cook for dinner.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:51:39 GMT

As long as it would take me to turn around and walk out.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Bri369 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:58:00 GMT

I'd make an appointment to open a new account. I wouldn't wait more than 10-15 minutes. If I wasn't helped in that time frame, I'd leave

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:59:05 GMT

@BoopOMatic wrote:
If you walked into a bank to open a new account, and you walked up to a teller who then checked on someone in the back and told you "they're on the phone," and directed you to have a seat and wait - how long would you wait to be taken care of?

There's only one other customer in the place.

Ten minutes?
Twenty?
Thirty?

How long would you wait?

@BoopOMatic

This may seem like an odd comparison, but this is what came to mind ...

I used to have a standing Saturday am appointment with my manicurist every other week. I was always baffled by the number of women who would walk in and expect to be taken immediately, even though they'd never been there before and were not regular customers.

You were a "walk in" person, not a regular customer ... yet.

To me, anyone who just walks in to a business without an appointment should expect to have to wait. These days, with so many branches closing or cutting staff, I doubt anyone was probably sitting around with nothing to do, waiting to be needed.

Personally, I would have either opened the account online, or called to see if an appointment was advisable.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

kaydee50 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:18:23 GMT

15 minutes. That's my limit for just about anything or anyone. When that time was up I would have asked if I could make an appointment. But to open a new account I think that can be done online. It would have to be a serious problem for me to speak to someone in person.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

spumoni99 — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:23:28 GMT

The last time we had banking that had to be done in person, we had to sign papers for a higher interest account that we could not withdraw from for a set number of months, can't remember what it was called, anyway my husband made an appointment and we were seen right away.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

We rescue cats — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:31:27 GMT

I would probably wait 10 minutes and then ask if it would be better for me to make an appointment, then do so. Everyone is so short staffed right now, so I would be understanding.

Re: Pop Quiz: How long would you wait

occasionalrain — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:58:06 GMT

I had accounts at a Citizens bank branch. I was often encouraged to make an appointment with their financial advisor who was located at main bank. I made an appointment, arrived on time, and was told to wait. I waited 15 minutes, left and stopped by the Citizens branch where I closed my accounts and told them why.

If I have an appointment, I wait 15 minutes. If I walk in, I ask how long and decide if it's worth the wait.