Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!dg-rtp!dg-rtp!kan From: kan@bugs-bunny.rtp.dg.com (Victor Kan) Newsgroups: comp.human-factors Subject: Re: Yucky ATM interfaces (WAS Re: Touchscreens) Message-ID: Date: 21 Jun 91 17:03:04 GMT References: <1991Jun19.233836.19040@ohmeda.com> <1991Jun20.042048.2749@Think.COM> <1991Jun20.162302.4311@cs.umn.edu> <1991Jun20.215350.18623@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Sender: usenet@dg-rtp.dg.com (Usenet Administration) Distribution: comp Organization: Program Development Environments, Data General Corp., RTP, NC Lines: 70 In-Reply-To: dickw@cnps.philips.nl's message of 21 Jun 91 11:05:15 GMT >>>>> On 21 Jun 91 11:05:15 GMT, dickw@cnps.philips.nl (Dick Wiersma) said: Dick> In short: Dick> - What can you do with them This varies from bank to bank, but the name Automated Teller Machine is a good description of the services (I wonder if in _Total_Recall_, they had Johnny Tellers as well as Johnny Cab Drivers :-). I can make deposits, make cash withdrawals, transfer money between accounts (some banks even offer payments for credit cards, loans (typically if it's with that bank), utilities, etc.), get traveler's checks (I've only seen this at Citibank ATMs in New York City), check account balances and get cash advances from your credit card account (not necessarily with that bank). What you typically can't do is cash a check, although depositing one followed by a withdrawal is almost the same thing if you have the balance to cover it, or are allowed to be overdrawn (often referred to as a credit/money line service). Dick> - How complex are the user interfaces (are they easy to use? how many Dick> different menu's, etc.) Most machines I've used have a screen that shows various button activated menus (or virtual buttons in the case of Citibank's touch screens). One local bank's ATMs actually have physical buttons for most of the options (i.e. there's a row of buttons in the accounts area, listing checking, savings, credit card, etc.). One of the problems with having a CRT pointing to physical buttons is that the CRT loses alignment after a while and you don't know whether you're answering Yes or No. ATMs with generic physical buttons that I've seen typically have four or five buttons lined up vertically. The smart thing would be to have the live buttons light up (as in the old Citibank ATMs), or to make Yes/No responses use buttons on opposite ends. The interfaces are simple enough that I have never had trouble using the varied ATMs from different banks which are on a common network, allowing interbank withdrawals/balance queries. My experience is that the other, more logistically complex services, e.g. deposits and interaccount transfers, don't work across different banks. Dick> - Do they charge you for such transactions? Most banks do charge per transaction, on the order of 25-50 cents. However, they usually waive the fees on accounts maintaining a certain minimum balance, or have direct deposit for paychecks, or other special deals. Dick> - What would you REALLY like to do with them I usually just get cash. Back in NYC where teller lines are always busy, depositing checks at ATMs was convenient (especially at Columbia! There are about a dozen Citibank ATMs on Broadway near campus, more than all the other nearby NYCE networked banks combined, at least when I was there). But here in NC, there are almost never lines, so I don't bother stuffing the special envelop. I just use a human teller. Dick> - Where do you find such ATM's (near banks, in shopping centres, ...?) They're in banks, supermarkets, shopping malls and in the cafeteria here at work. -- | Victor Kan | I speak only for myself. | *** | Data General Corporation | Edo emacibus, ergo sum. | **** | 62 T.W. Alexander Drive | Columbia Lions Win, 8 October 1988 for | **** %%%% | RTP, NC 27709 | a record of 1-44. Way to go, Lions! | *** %%%