I remember couple of years before HDFC was running an ad campaign about
hi-tech ATMs remember your favourite withdrawal amount and thereby reduces one’s
withdrawal time by 40%. (
On the contrary I find HDFC bank’s ATMs quite outdated in comparison to
any other bank ATMs using MASTER/VISA cards. At other banks’ ATMs one has to
insert the card inside machine and take it out immediately just to enable
machine to scan the necessary code and complete the necessary ATM transaction
and move out once transaction is completed and walk out quickly. Whereas, HDFC
bank ATMs make you keep the card inside the machine while one is doing his/ her
transaction. After transaction is complete it takes hell lot of time (in terms of
normal expectation) for one to receive the card back. The chances are if
customer is in a hurry, more likely he/ she would forget his card inside the
machine or to collect the card. This compromises safety of a card in case it
falls in wrong hands.
Yes, if card is not collected within certain designated time, it remains
stuck inside the machine. But there is still certain time to be lapsed before
machine could lock it.
Further the policy of HDFC Bank is if one forgets the card first time in
the machine, it could be collected by approaching a nearest bank branch and
following some procedures, that does not mean one gets the card immediately.
These forgotten cards are collected at some centre managing it’s ATMs and then
as per the request received from the customer gets dispatched. However, this
procedure is not guaranteed either. Because, when I had forgotten my new card
for the first time in the ATM machine, and I had tried to approach the nearest
HDFC Bank’s branch in time (same day), they performed the necessary procedures
however the response they received from ATM operating team was they did not
find my card, whereas I was confident that I’d forgot to collect it. Needless
to say I had to apply for the new card and pay charges for the same.
If customer forgets the card for the second time in the ATM machine,
HDFC Bank’s policy is to destroy the card! And make customer apply for the new
card, which would again attract some charges in that customer’s bank account.
Cannot imagine how many people in India would be forgetting their cards
at HDFC bank’s ATMs every year, and thereby Bank issuing new cards to all those
customers charging new card charges to their account. Cannot imagine the money
HDFC is making per annum due to these faulty and outdated ATMs they have
installed. Probably that would answer the question why HDFC Bank is not upgrading it's ATM to match contemporary International Standards followed by all other leading banks.
