Blog
5 reasons why ATM servicing is like golfing
August 2, 2013 by Corey King — Sales, American Bank Equipment
You might think I have been spending too much time playing golf on the weekends, but there are definite similarities between playing a round of golf and servicing ATMs.
You can leave the course feeling excited or like someone beat you with a wet rag, and servicing an ATM can bring on the same emotions! Here are five ways you’ll see the two are very much alike:
1) It doesn't matter whether it's good weather or bad
I have played golf in 35 degrees with sunshine, 50 degrees with rain, and 100 degrees with 80 percent humidity.
When an ATM is down, what temperature ranges stop a service tech from trying to get it back up? What weather conditions stop the service call from being attempted? In my 22 years of working with service companies, I have been amazed how dedicated many companies are to bringing ATMs back up and how techs work in all weather extremes for hours.
2) Slow play is annoying
Ever play a 6-hour round of golf and enjoy it? (For you non-golfers, a round of golf should take about four hours.) Ever play with someone who takes forever to decide what club to use or to look for their ball in the woods?
When an ATM is down, the longer it stays down the worse it is for everyone. Creative and talented techs normally can diagnose and fix problems without much delay. They keep critical parts with them or can get them quickly. Whenever circumstances cause extended delays (e.g., slow play) it makes for very unhappy customers and puts tons of pressure on techs.
3) Expensive golf clubs don’t make a good golfer
Have you ever played golf with someone who had very expensive clubs and who dressed to impress but could barely hit the ball?
It’s great to have all the parts, tools and technical diagnostics to service an ATM, but not all service technicians are of the same quality. Many times, it boils down to an individual gifted with mechanical and technical skills to fix a problem — just like the best golfers know how to get it done with whatever they have in their bag.
4) You have to play the ball as it lies
For you non-golfers, this basically means you can hit a great shot but then have to hit your next shot out of very tough conditions.
Servicing an ATM is very much the same and service techs have to find ways to deal with it. I have helped guys who had gum stuck in card readers, firecrackers that broke fascias ... the list could go on and on. Regardless of how prepared you may be, you run into situations at an ATM location that sometimes are hard to explain but you have to deal with it!
5) There's nothing like making the big putt!
You know the feeling of making that 25 footer with break. The downhill right-to-left one to take money from you buddy!
Some ATM issues, as mentioned above, are very difficult and very hard to diagnose even for the best techs. However, once the solution is found, once the ATM is back up, once the customer is happy, it’s hard to explain how good it feels!
I told you there were similarities between playing golf and servicing an ATM!
Read more about service and parts.
About Corey King
