If Your State Or Area Has A Mask Mandate, Is Your Bank's Lobby Open For Business?

Discussion in 'In the News' started by John Brunner, Oct 5, 2020.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Every once in a while I'll have a need to go to my bank. I'll either need to cash/deposit a check or make a cash withdrawal that exceeds the limits of the ATM...some amount of stuff in my area is still cash-basis. This time of year, I'm buying firewood. And you never know when I might go to a yard sale or see something interesting with a For Sale sign on it as I'm driving around. So I always keep cash on hand. Today I have a check to deposit and I need to replenish my cash supply.

    My entire state is under a mask mandate (although folks in these rural counties are pretty casual about it), and I just went online to see that my bank has yet to reopen the lobby for business...everything is done at the drive-thru window. If you have more complex face-to-face business to conduct, it's By Appointment Only.

    The website says it's "For the protection of our employees during the virus..." But I wonder if banks don't want a bunch of masked people coming inside. All the other places around here have been open for business. And the teller counters have always provided a "distancing" function.

    Hmmmm......
     
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  2. Jerry Adams

    Jerry Adams Veteran Member
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    North Carolina, Drive up window only, no walk ups at that window, you can get in to your safe deposit box.
     
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  3. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    Mine is open with the usual precautions.
     
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  4. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Yup. All clear except everyone has to wear a mask until they have to have their photo taken after a transaction.

    The most intimidating thing is walking into a bank and all the tellers have masks on. I mean, since everyone has a mask on, it might be hard to tell who the thieves are from the honest folks.
     
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  5. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Masks required; appointments required for lobby services (loans, investments, etc.) There are drive up windows for simple cash transactions and plenty of ATMs. Most of our banking is done online and cash withdrawn at an ATM machine. We can deposit checks by an iPhone app which is so convenient since we don't have to leave the house.
     
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  6. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    And that's what I was wondering. Should have phrased the title differently.

    So your bank is allowing people inside while wearing masks, huh? BB&T isn't. Not at any location in any state.
     
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  7. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Yes, ours is. My wife seems to find reasons to go there but I haven't had a reason to go into a bank building in years.
     
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  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Yeh, I've yet to download the BB&T app that allows you to electronically deposit checks, although I still have a need to extract cash...and my bank is 16 miles away, so repeat ATM trips ain't gonna happen.

    Our church treasurer is a lady in her late 80s...her daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter and great-great granddaughter attend church there. I was talking about going to the bank for something, and she asked me why I didn't download the app...that's what she uses. Yeh, I got [old] schooled.
     
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  9. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    At the beginning of the pandemic hysteria, we withdrew a substantial amount of cash and put it in our home safe. It's handy to just be our own ATM, though I've been carrying around the same cash in my wallet since January or so. All of my purchases are done online these days.
     
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  10. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Until I got this cash rewards card, I had been pretty cash-only. When I moved here 10 years ago I didn't bring a stick of furniture with me...most of my stuff came from Craigslist or a couple of second hand shops. That--plus my firewood purchases--had me keeping lots of cash around. I get nervous if it gets too low.

    My cash usage has been low recently because of a dearth of yard sales this year.
     
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  11. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    It was never our practice to keep a lot of cash in the house, for obvious reasons. But the insanity over toilet paper and other unexpected results of people's panic made us wonder if we should be more prepared "just in case." Once things return to normal we won't keep much cash on hand because we don't need it and it's easily available in normal times.
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I got a couple of checks a month or so ago, so went through the drive-thru at that time to cash them. I noticed tellers standing inside and was told that the lobby was open for masked clients. I went on line today and BB&T/Sun Trust showed that the lobby where I was going was open for limited transactions. (Their 1,500+ branches across 16 states range from Closed to Limited to Fully Open.)

    I needed to cash a check so I drove down there (16 miles one way) and the lobby was closed! So I got in line at the drive thru. There were 3 vehicles ahead of me and eventually about 8 behind me. I sat there for 20 minutes. Two of the folks were quick, and one of them must have been filing probate documents.

    I finally got to the window and asked about the lobby being closed again, thinking someone got Thuh Flew:eek: and they shut it down again. Well, one of the tellers called in sick today and another one "got pregnant." I assume no workman's comp claim was involved for either lady.

    Next time I'll call first.
     
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  13. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    Don't try anything dumb.....?
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I was upset the lobby was closed. Just once I want to experience going into a bank wearing a mask, and not go to jail for it.

    Actually--speaking of "something dumb"--I guess I could go to jail for going into the bank without a mask!!
     
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  15. Hoot Crawford

    Hoot Crawford Veteran Member
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    I'm in Ohio and AFAIK my bank lobby is open. Also same in Florida - I had to go to the lobby to initiate a wire transfer a week or so ago while I was down south.
     
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