Pioneer Times photo/Gloria Austin
DEMONSTRATION — Chris Nickerson, vice president and Branch Manager of Bangor Savings Bank, demonstrates how to use the new Intelligent ATM.
Open house to learn about ATM Sept. 5
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
Bangor Savings Bank has a new ATM machine at the corner of Court and Military Streets in Houlton for the convenience of its customers.
The ATM was installed July 11.
“We have had it in for about six weeks,” said Chris Nickerson, vice president and Branch Manager of Bangor Savings Bank. “Some people are a bit intimidated by it. They wonder what will happen to their cash or checks and how will we know who the deposit belongs to. Since every transaction begins with the customer inserting their ATM or debit card that is how we know whose account to credit.”
Bangor Savings Bank will host an Open House on Friday, Sept. 5 for its customers and bank employees will be on hand to give personal demonstrations on how to use the ATM.
“This is called an Intelligent ATM,” said Nickerson. “It actually processes your transaction, just as if you were working with a live teller.”
The Intelligent ATM allows Bangor Savings Bank customers to get immediate credit for cash deposits when deposits are made before 6 pm Monday through Friday.
“What would happen with the older ATM machines is that you would put in a deposit and it would memo post to your account. At a particular time each day a teller pulled the envelopes from the machine and physically processed the deposit,” explained Nickerson. “Since the old ATM machines didn’t know if you were depositing checks or cash a customer didn’t receive immediate credit for a cash deposit and therefore a customer could experience problems getting approval when using their debit card.”
The new ATM machine will process “just as if the bank was open until 6 p.m.” Monday through Friday.
“Anything that is done on Saturday goes in with Monday’s deposits and will be processed Monday night just like it would be if a deposit was made in the branch,” Nickerson noted.
The Intelligent ATM can take up to 30 items at a time and process them. For example, someone can have 30 bills/checks in each batch.
“You do not have to do separate deposits,” said Nickerson. “The machine can only count or process 30 items at a time however you have the option to add an addition batch of 30 items until your deposit is complete. This feature allows smaller businesses the ability to make deposits.”
The ATM is easy to access and prompts the user with each step.
“It walks you right through the process,” said Nickerson. “We still have the night drop for those customers who are not comfortable with using the ATM. I think that once someone uses our new ATM they will see the convenience and benefits that it offers.”
