Dollar Bank introduces Personal Teller Machines

It's a cross between an ATM machine and an actual teller.  You can get cash, make deposits, and get questions answered by a real person.  Consumer Investigator Robin Taylor got a look at how the new technology works.

They're called Personal Teller machines and they're available at Dollar Bank branches on Pittsburgh’s north and south sides.

The machines look a lot like a regular ATM, but you can speak to a real person, the same way you would if you went into the bank.

You just touch a button and a teller comes up on the video screen.  The teller can walk you through basic transactions such as getting cash, making a deposit or even making an appointment to get a loan.

The machines are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. six days a week.  The idea is to make it easier for people to do their banking after hours.

"They can deal with a real person and if you have other accounts, if you want to deposit a check to a Christmas club, deposit a check to your savings account, you can tell the teller which account you want it to go to and it happens," said Joseph Smith, senior vice president of marketing for Dollar Bank.

Personal Teller machines have been test marketed by credit unions in New York City and in North Carolina, but Dollar Bank is the first bank to try them.

They expect them to be very popular once customers catch on to how they work.

WPXI