29 replies to this topic

[ezcheese]

ok, so my girlfriend and i needed to get to the bank today to deposit a couple of checks. we were running a little late but it was still a quarter to 5. we got to the door and it was already locked. then the tellers inside held up the number 4. we checked the banking hours on the door and noticed that the bank closes at 4:00 on weekdays. we were stunned. we then had to go to staples to buy some office supplies. we aksed the employees there if all the banks close at 4 or just ours and they replied that all of them close at 4.

is this just common to the Boston metro area or all of New England? i always thought that if anything, northerners would work longer hours, not shorter ones. but it turns out that a lot of other businesses either open later or close sooner than we are used to down in the south. just something i found to be interesting.

Edited by ezcheese, 31 May 2005 - 03:54 PM.

[Cotuit]

It's all of New England (New York City too), I have no idea why. Most banks are open late on Fridays, which is when most people cash their paychecks. Most people bank on Saturdays because they can't get to the bank during the week.

Many of the larger banks are starting to have longer hours. And there are many grocery store bank branches that are open 7-days and into the evening. Citizens bank is big on this grocery store branch thing currently, at least in Rhode Island.  


Other than the banking, how are you enjoying Waltham?

[ezcheese]

waltham has been pretty cool so far. it's a pretty suburban kind of place, so i think we feel a little more at home than we would have if we had moved straight to a denser area. we just got an apartment in malden and we will be able to start moving our stuff in in a couple of weeks. the apartment in malden will be cool because i will easily be able to ride my bike to malden center station when i need to go into the city. we are also within easy walking distance of malden square.

we're having a pretty good time so far. the roads up here definitely take getting used to though.  

[glassandsteel]

Cotuit, on May 31 2005, 07:31 PM, said:

It's all of New England (New York City too), I have no idea why.

It's probably a mix of European influence (see business hours in Italy), residual practices of past times (dinner hours), and our willingness to deal with it.

[BostonFaker]

The proliferation of ATMs has made bank branch hours have to be smaller for better business.

[ezcheese]

BostonFaker, on Jul 27 2005, 09:54 AM, said:

The proliferation of ATMs has made bank branch hours have to be smaller for better business.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if this truly were the case, shouldn't the hours be universal all over the country instead of isolated in new england?

[BostonFaker]

What kind of banks are we talking about?

Middlesex Savings and Charlotte (whatever)

or BOA?

Also, maybe there are cultural differences?

Edited by BostonFaker, 30 July 2005 - 04:52 PM.

[runawayjim]

BostonFaker, on Jul 30 2005, 05:51 PM, said:

What kind of banks are we talking about?

Middlesex Savings and Charlotte (whatever)

or BOA?

Also, maybe there are cultural differences?

not to re-open an old discussion, but your question went unanswered...

every bank from a major chain like bank of america to the local ones seem to close early during the week.

i don't think the ATM boom was part of the problem.  i started banking right around the time that ATM cards first started to really catch on (before debit cards really existed).  banks were still closing early.

almost every bank stays open late on fridays (usually 6) because that's when most people get paid.

i had one bank, a first union back when it was first union, on uconn's campus that was open until 8 mon-sat and may have even been open shorter hours on sundays.  that was always nice to have...

i wish banks would stay open until at least 5 every night because i get out of work at 4:30.  

[cloudship]

There are a few out there - you just have to search them out. I always took for granted that banks always closed at 3:00 unless it was thursday or friday. What time are they open till in other parts of the country? I thought they all had those kind fo hours.

[urbanvb]

I work for a huge bank and I too noticed the shorter hours (4pm) for northern branches which I find interesting. The banks in my area all stay open till 5pm (6 on Friday) and the drive thru sometimes till 5:30 .

[Cotuit]

So is the term "bankers hours" unique to the Northeast then?

[JimSawhill]

ezcheese, on May 31 2005, 05:53 PM, said:

ok, so my girlfriend and i needed to get to the bank today to deposit a couple of checks. we were running a little late but it was still a quarter to 5. we got to the door and it was already locked. then the tellers inside held up the number 4. we checked the banking hours on the door and noticed that the bank closes at 4:00 on weekdays. we were stunned. we then had to go to staples to buy some office supplies. we aksed the employees there if all the banks close at 4 or just ours and they replied that all of them close at 4.

is this just common to the Boston metro area or all of New England? i always thought that if anything, northerners would work longer hours, not shorter ones. but it turns out that a lot of other businesses either open later or close sooner than we are used to down in the south. just something i found to be interesting.

     Here in Florida, BankAtlantic (a mid-sized Florida bank) is open 7 days a week from 7 am to 7pm. No, they aren't in supermarkets, but as regular banks.

[NovaWolverine]

JimSawhill, on Jul 13 2006, 06:39 PM, said:

Here in Florida, BankAtlantic (a mid-sized Florida bank) is open 7 days a week from 7 am to 7pm. No, they aren't in supermarkets, but as regular banks.

from what I've seen, the only banks open late are those that are located in the grocery store, or on fridays, everywhere else it's about 5. All the banks in my neighborhood in NY stayed open until about 4 too.

[mikel]

Support shorter hours, it's better for small business!

I try to do all my shopping/banking etc. in the morning, so I know I'm not contributing to small business failing bc they can't compete with big business hours.

[runawayjim]

mikel, on Aug 14 2006, 12:11 PM, said:

Support shorter hours, it's better for small business!

I try to do all my shopping/banking etc. in the morning, so I know I'm not contributing to small business failing bc they can't compete with big business hours.

how does going to the bank early support small business?

[mikel]

runawayjim, on Aug 14 2006, 12:18 PM, said:

how does going to the bank early support small business?

It's a lifestyle.   Most businesses in Italy are open from 9-1, then 4-7:30.   Most in England are open 9 or 10-6 or so.     Closed on Sundays.   In America, they're open 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and it makes it hard for small businesses to compete.   So, every little bit helps.   I try to shop during traditional hours because every bit counts.

[runawayjim]

mikel, on Aug 14 2006, 03:02 PM, said:

It's a lifestyle.   Most businesses in Italy are open from 9-1, then 4-7:30.   Most in England are open 9 or 10-6 or so.     Closed on Sundays.   In America, they're open 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and it makes it hard for small businesses to compete.   So, every little bit helps.   I try to shop during traditional hours because every bit counts.

so do you only shop at small businesses and only do your banking at local banks?

if not, that whole idea has gone right out the window.

[mikel]

runawayjim, on Aug 14 2006, 07:11 PM, said:

so do you only shop at small businesses and only do your banking at local banks?

if not, that whole idea has gone right out the window.

It doesn't matter.   I just shop during normal business hours, no matter what I'm doing.    There, sadly, aren't any really small local banks that have branches in downtown Hartford, which is a requirement for my banking needs.     I'll use an ATM at any hour though, because it's just a machine.

[runawayjim]

mikel, on Aug 14 2006, 10:55 PM, said:

It doesn't matter.   I just shop during normal business hours, no matter what I'm doing.    There, sadly, aren't any really small local banks that have branches in downtown Hartford, which is a requirement for my banking needs.     I'll use an ATM at any hour though, because it's just a machine.

unless you only support small businesses and small banks, you're not doing anything to help them by only shopping during "normal business hours" (which i assume to be 9-5).  shopping at national chains during these hours does not hurt their business and does not help small businesses one bit.  doing your best to avoid chains at all costs is what needs to be done to hurt them.

[mikel]

runawayjim, on Aug 15 2006, 07:20 AM, said:

unless you only support small businesses and small banks, you're not doing anything to help them by only shopping during "normal business hours" (which i assume to be 9-5).  shopping at national chains during these hours does not hurt their business and does not help small businesses one bit.  doing your best to avoid chains at all costs is what needs to be done to hurt them.

Oh believe me, I do that too.   I pride myself at how I haven't entered a Wal Mart in years.   I would support a local bank, but none are located in Hartford these days.    The last bank I enjoyed being a part of was Mechanics Bank, until it merged with Webster that is.