Bank customers in Lagos commend services of ATMs during holidays

Some bank customers in Lagos have commended banks for uninterrupted services at their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) during the long holidays.

The customers spoke in separate interviews with our correspondents who monitored the performance of the ATMs in parts of Lagos during the holidays.

The correspondents visited Anthony, Gbagada, Onipanu, Shomolu, Bariga, Ikorodu Road and Ikeja, among others.

Our correspondents reported that the performance of the ATMs was generally average as some had problems paying customers.

Some ATMs displayed “out of service” message on their monitors, while others were unable to dispense cash due to network problems.

“I don’t usually come to the ATM on a public holiday because I know the usual rush by this time, but needed to come in order to prepare for work and also pay my children’s school fees.

“I also commend the bank for being up and doing because it is very unusual on a public holiday to get cash from the ATM,” Adeola Oyelami said.

Oyelami said he was also impressed by the speed at which the ATMs were working.

An artisan, Mr Opeloyeru Adekunle, said he liked situations when there were few customers on queues at the ATM stands, saying that he was always convenient with using the ATMs on holidays.

According to him, seeing more people at the stands ward off criminals in such places.

He urged banks to ensure they filled the machines with higher denominations so that customers would not be afraid of carrying the money in order not to attract criminals after using the stands.

“I came down from a commercial bus and I was motivated to use the ATM because of the few people on the queues.

“The only problem I have is when the ATMs are dispensing N500 instead of N1,000 notes.

“The banks should be conscious of this and ensure that they put more of the higher denominations in the trails so that customers’ hands or pockets won’t be bulky after using the ATMs,” he said.

Mrs Aishat Akorede, a businesswoman, commended banks for ensuring that customers could easily get cash from the ATMs on public holidays.

“I have been at home since morning with the thought of whether to come or not, not until when my neighbour came home with the good news that he got cash from an ATM down the street without stress.

“I also heard similar stories from passersby of how easy it has been for them to get cash at the various ATMs they went to,” she said.

Akorede, however, urged banks to ensure that customers would not need to queue for long hours before getting cash from the ATMs.