Lousy ATM service

Egay Uy .

EMPLOYEES of the city government were elated when the 14th month pay was released. Many lined up to the DBP automated teller machines along, probably, with employees from other government offices. That was the week after Nov. 15.

I was also having problems withdrawing from my own DBP account through the ATM. Several ATMs of other banks did not process my DBP withdrawal and advised me to transact with DBP machines only. It was an ordeal for most DBP account holders.  ATMs in malls had the same sight – long queues. Matters were made worse by some ATMs that failed to dispense cash.

The long queues started on Nov. 15, a Thursday.  On Sunday, Nov. 18, I again tried my luck but to no avail. I went to the DBP branch in Divisoria to see if the lines have gone. And sure enough, there was nobody in the ATM kiosk.

Armed with my ATM card, I went directly to the machines inside the kiosk only to be greeted by the hurriedly written sign “temporarily closed.”

Automated teller machines are supposed to be for the convenience of bank account holders. These machines are supposed to provide the account holders the comfort of withdrawing money from their accounts at any time of day or night. But not the DBP machines.

I have observed that the DBP machines are turned off early mornings.  I don’t know if it was only me who experienced it but when I attempted to withdraw from the DBP kiosk early one morning, I found offline machines.  And worse, the kiosk at Divisoria was closed.

ATMs are supposed to be interconnected. But it seems this is not true with my DBP account. If the DBP machines cannot provide the service and convenience that those machines are supposed to provide to account holders, then the DBP should at least consistently open the link between the accounts at the DBP office to the other teller machines.

Then there is at least one machine that does not dispense cash even as it responds to balance inquiries. Why can’t the bank see to it that their account holders are not inconvenienced by their failure to monitor the level of cash they put inside those dispensing machines?

My ghaad!