Nedbank’s atms now talk back

Johannesburg - Nedbank has launched the first ATM on the African continent that allows customers to interact with a bank employee via video streaming.

During its first half-century, the ATM has changed the world in fundamental ways and Nedbank’s device in effect transforms a conventional ATM into an interactive, on-screen banking session with a teller – a service that is ultimately planned to be available day or night.

Brian Duguid, Nedbank’s managing executive of integrated channels, said the project of enabling clients to engage with a human teller would eventually provide a 24-hour banking facility at a conventional ATM.

In addition, Nedbank plans to begin with the extension of its banking hours.

Apart from the video facility where clients can see and talk to a teller while transacting, the new ATM boasts other additional features. Business and individual clients will be able to make large deposits and withdrawals at unconventional business hours without the need to go inside the bank.

It allowed cardless deposits and withdrawals exceeding conventional ATM limits and recognised the new ID cards, said Rigardt Stahmer, Nedbank’s head of channel of self-service banking.

“It also enables branch staff – called service champions – to have a real-time view of a client’s details and allows clients to experience a more personalised interaction when transacting at our self-service devices,” Stahmer told City Press this week.

Duguid said they had ensured that the safety of clients’ accounts was not compromised. As a result, the interactive teller “boasts industry-leading security features such as a built-in ID and signature [verifier]”.

He said the bank was continuing to invest in newer, tighter and simpler security features on the devices “because we take their money seriously”.

Preni Naidoo, Nedbank’s divisional executive of self-service banking, said their research showed
that clients still wanted to engage with a human being.

The technology therefore provides the client with the experience of talking to a teller while using an ATM in a manner that speeds up the self-banking process.

Nedbank has more than 800 branches and 3 500 ATMs throughout the country.

It is also accessible through Boxer and Pick n Pay stores, like most banks.