Would You Return Extra Money from an ATM? An Insider’s Perspective

One day, one of our bank’s ATMs malfunctioned, dispensing 50s instead of 20s. Over several attempts, a few people who realized this returned to re-dispatch their "20" bills, and we were notified about the situation. The cause was a new employee who mistakenly loaded 50s into the 20 cassette. Despite safeguards to prevent such errors, there are still cases where malfunctions lead to discrepancies.

Payday Rush and the ATM Malfunction

On a particularly busy day, the bank was flooded with people—employees collecting their pay and those running errands. I, too, was at the bank when I noticed a peculiar occurrence: the ATM was dispensing extra 20 bills. Initially, I managed to extract the extra bills without damage, only for the ATM to shut down due to the malfunction, causing further delays for the line behind me.

After navigating the crowded counters, I approached a bank employee and explained the situation. My intention was to return the extra 20s to the bank, but the employee was far from pleased. She suggested that I keep the money, implying that I was overthinking the situation and complicating it unnecessarily.

Insider Insights on Bank Malfunctions and Accountability

As an employee, I understand that most banks have robust systems in place to detect and rectify such issues. In 99 out of 100 cases, the bank catches the discrepancy and corrects it, ensuring that no one gains or loses in the process. However, the handling of this situation by the bank employee was less than satisfactory. Such interactions underscore the importance of customer service and the ethical responsibility of bank employees to handle such issues with empathy and transparency.

Conclusion

While the inclination to return extra money from an ATM may vary from individual to individual, in the grand scheme of things, it is often unnecessary. Banks have systems in place to handle such discrepancies. However, the way these issues are handled can significantly impact customer trust and the overall customer experience.