I suppose with the proliferation of Automatic Banking Machines over the past three decades, the humble teller has been relegated to a less than central position in the banking service of the future. All of the debate has been about integrated branches, automated transactions, cross-selling customer relationship management software and systems, but there's not been much of a discussion around enhancing the customers' interaction with the specialist.
IBM Italy proposes a more visually-sensitive and teller-integrated version of the ABM, which I've coined the MBM – manual banking machine. I think it needs a little improvement. Tellers need cameras not just at the customer's eyes, but at the customer's desk to properly witness endorsement of checks or deposits and the like.
