A Bank Without Tellers?

I will be the first to say that I give physical branches a pretty bad rap around here. I'm not the hugest fan of them, and I see their usefulness waning as we get more technologically advanced. However, a proposed idea by Bank of America would replace the majority of its tellers with video screens. From My Bank Tracker:

The ATMs allow customers to speak with offsite bank tellers via video-conferencing. Additionally, the ATMs offer customers the ability to withdraw cash in various denominations ($1, $5, $20 and $100), make loan or credit card payments, cash checks for exact change and more. Customers who forget to bring their ATM or debit cards can even access their accounts with government-issued photo ID.

ATM tellers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

On one hand, it's pretty similar to what is already in place across the nation, with drive-thru banking. But if it gets to be too popular, will they begin to replace actual, living breathing tellers with glorified Skype machines? 

As I've often said in the past, I don't need to talk to a teller often. But when I do, it's incredibly urgent, and very necessary. I'm not sure how happy I would be if there was no one I could talk to in person. 

What do you think? Could you see this being implemented well? I've heard of it being tested out by a few credit unions around the country, but they usually haven't lasted long. Have you tried one? Let us know in the comments below! 

DeAndre

DeAndre Upshaw is a former Young & Free Texas Spokester. He's a marketing professional living in Dallas and a Beyonce enthusiast. DeAndre is the host and executive producer of The State of Awesome. Follow him on Twitter and check out his personal website.