Pittsburgh area bank policies & rude tellers (Penn: live, places)

[Copanut]

Try Northwest Savings Bank, great service. Plus, they have free tootsie rolls at the counter.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by youngabe

The only thing I will say, I did witness a teller question a guy depositing a check about how he acquired the check. The guy was playing along and saying what he did for work, etc, but I found it to be completely bizarre that he was being questioned the way he was. If a teller was questioning me, I honestly would have been offended and took the matter further. His appearance / behavior was not one that would draw any unnecessary question either. This was with PNC.

A friend of mine and her entire family pulled out of Citizens Bank for a similar occurrence. She was depositing a series of large checks that were inheritance checks. The bank tellers were basically scrutinizing where these checks came from. So, instead, she pulled it all out and went to PNC.

In recent years Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering regulations have gotten more rigorous. A lot of it is triggered under the USA PATRIOT Act. Tellers are trained to question unusual activity on customer accounts. Since you only witnessed the guy you describe, you don't know what the activity on his account might have looked like, whether anything was flagged, if he had unusual activity recently, etc. Money Launderers don't have a particular appearance. Additionally, a series of large checks can trigger money laundering questions. Appropriate answers make the issue go away, but unfortunately, under regulations, the banks are required to ask the questions, and yes, scrutinize unusual activity.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Tinare

In recent years Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering regulations have gotten more rigorous. A lot of it is triggered under the USA PATRIOT Act. Tellers are trained to question unusual activity on customer accounts. Since you only witnessed the guy you describe, you don't know what the activity on his account might have looked like, whether anything was flagged, if he had unusual activity recently, etc. Money Launderers don't have a particular appearance. Additionally, a series of large checks can trigger money laundering questions. Appropriate answers make the issue go away, but unfortunately, under regulations, the banks are required to ask the questions, and yes, scrutinize unusual activity.

Yep, this too. Even though banks suck, not all the crappy things they do are only because they suck.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by MeinGlanzendMotorrad

I'd really like to see you post a positive thread sometime.

These comments from you are really getting old. Save it bro.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Yeah, I'm really getting sick and tired of people either a) using one bad experience in Pennsylvania to condemn the entire state, or b) assuming that because somebody first had a certain kind of negative experience in Pennsylvania, that such a negative experience is exclusive to the state. I have enough basis for comparison to know that virtually all the negative experiences people complain about as being exclusive to Pennsylvania (or Pittsburgh) have happened elsewhere.

I never had any issues anywhere other than western PA. It seems like banks there have a policy to leave the discretion to the tellers. As I stated in my first post, anywhere else and it was thumb print and a possible fee. The reason I started this thread was due to my curiosity of whether or not this an actual policy, or just an anomaly. Apparently nobody can answer that question, so instead I get flamed for somehow bashing Pittsburgh. Sorry I even asked. I just won't post on the Pittsburgh forums from now on. I don't live there anymore anyway, so it's kind of a moot point I guess.

[Johnny C]

I can't remember the last time that I actually stepped foot inside a bank. I have applied for all of my loans (car, mortage, ect) through the interwebs and I deposit checks at ATMs or using the APP on my phone.

I have always found banks to be annoying places to visit and I'm glad that technology allows me to avoid them.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by Sealtite

These comments from you are really getting old. Save it bro.

+100!

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Sealtite

I never had any issues anywhere other than western PA. It seems like banks there have a policy to leave the discretion to the tellers. As I stated in my first post, anywhere else and it was thumb print and a possible fee. The reason I started this thread was due to my curiosity of whether or not this an actual policy, or just an anomaly. Apparently nobody can answer that question, so instead I get flamed for somehow bashing Pittsburgh. Sorry I even asked. I just won't post on the Pittsburgh forums from now on. I don't live there anymore anyway, so it's kind of a moot point I guess.

Some banks cash their own checks, I know this to be true. This isn't anything that's at the teller's discretion if the bank allows it. I don't know if some banks choose not to cash their own checks, that is quite possible. That would also not be at the teller's discretion.

I do know that there would have been tightening of rules in recent years; I thought that would be relevant perhaps, but I don't know which years you were here and when you were elsewhere, apart from now. And I do know is there is not some regional difference in such rules; they are federal and/or common bank policy to deal with fraud. There may be some bank-to-bank differences in their own fraud rules.

There is no regional policy to be rude to you (or anyone) when you go into a bank. I know this. Really. I think you know it too. This is the same issue as the fast food one: poor management of low-paid workers. (You do know tellers work for crap right? They're no better off than any other store clerk or fast food worker. Not an excuse but something to remember. Pretty amazing given that they handle so much cash, but there are a lot of checks on that.)

I'll ask you the same thing I asked someone else recently: why is it so important to attribute this issue to a regional problem?

[SteelCityRising]

I've had nothing but positive experiences with my usual PNC branch on Baum Boulevard in North Oakland. The security guard there, a stocky African-American guy who always seems to be in a perky mood, loves joking with me nonchalantly from time to time about my former employer, and he often opens the door for people. The tellers are always smiling as well, and the last time I chatted for a few minutes to one about house-cleaning of all things! LOL! I suppose it just varies from location to location. I've also had great experiences with PNC branch locations on Penn Circle South in East Liberty and on Murray Avenue in Greenfield. I think the only time I ever encountered a grouchy PNC teller was at the location on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill (but then again from all of my experiences here people tend to just be moodier for some reason or other in that whole neighborhood).

[raubre]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

. I think the only time I ever encountered a grouchy PNC teller was at the location on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill (but then again from all of my experiences here people tend to just be moodier for some reason or other in that whole neighborhood).

I'm sure Squirrel Hill has grouchy people, but the whole neighborhood is far from it.