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Q: Chinese at the ATM.
How do you guys deal with the slow pace of Chinese people at the ATM? I swear they think it's a damn videogame standing there for hours on pushing button after button.
Ha!
You should try using a bank teller and see those lines.
One window open (out of 8) during busy times and like 50 people waiting. What are the other staff doing you ask? Something in the back... chatting... looking lost and totally indifferent at the fact that their customer service is utterly horrible.
What they're actually doing is depositing their month's wages because their boss pays them by cash because it's too troublesome or they're too cheap to set up a department to handle bank transfers. Or they're transferring their money to their hometown relatives because that's why they came to the city to work in the first place. That's my guess anyway.
hi2u:
I also imagine paying the employees by cash means the boss can save money by not having to pay tax on their salaries. I wouldn't be surprised if that's standard practice everywhere.
Ah. So that's what's going down. Eh, well, just have to grin and bear it I guess. Seems odd that there's ALWAYS somebody doing one of those things though...then again China is massive.
Ha!
You should try using a bank teller and see those lines.
One window open (out of 8) during busy times and like 50 people waiting. What are the other staff doing you ask? Something in the back... chatting... looking lost and totally indifferent at the fact that their customer service is utterly horrible.
I think they are like sheep. They follow to the longest lineup. The newest or biggest bank branch, or China mobile branch or market.
There is almost always another branch, a little outlet, somewhere nearby. Within a block or 2 or 3 there is another, not so busy branch. That's where I go, and after a couple times they generally recognize me. Much better than the forever crowded location.
mike695ca:
true that! I always find the grimiest branch, ATMs are always free and always have money in them. I also find my time to be more valuable than money so id rather pay 5 kuai to take out money at some no name bank then save money and wait an hour getting all angry at my bank.
The worst bank to have to deal with ATM lines at is ABC. This is where all of the peasants come to play with the multiple bank accounts which they've opened and they use this as an opportunity to show off how much is in each of their accounts.
So many times I've been waiting in the queue-like horde with a bunch of trolley driving, rotten-toothed nimrods and I've seen a guy stand aside, look backwards and smile proudly at how much he's got in the account hoping other people will give him a lolly or a round of applause of whatever.
Like most people I see in China, I'm completely baffled over who would engage in commerce with such an imbecile, but I'm not in the mood to repeat myself once again.
Anyhow, once I finally get to the head of the line I push in my card, type in my pin and hit the withdrawal button and the withdrawal figure all within 10 to 15 seconds. I tend to only take out small figures at a time, so I get my money, count it immediately, get a receipt, put it in my wallet and I'm out the door in just over a minute of initially touching the buttons.
By contrast, your average ATM user here must operate the damned things for an average of 5 to 10 minutes.
I am sure the ATM is an event for them. Life here is so boring! I can't wait for my girlfriend to finally get her worthless Chinese diploma so we can fly out.
All three of my universities paid cash...wonder how much was being stolen or used for tax evasion...
hi2u:
You were paid in cash? Then your school is legally responsible for paying your taxes to the government, considering the government knows you're working on a Z visa. You should probably look into that
