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Conference 7.286::dcu

Title:	DCU
Notice:	1996 BoD Election results in 1004
Moderator:	CPEEDY::BRADLEY

Created:	Sat Feb 07 1987
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1041
Total number of notes:	18759

585.0. "Relying on the computer" by SQM::MACDONALD () Thu Jul 09 1992 14:57

    
    Today I went to the ZKO branch to get traveler's checks only
    to have the teller say that she couldn't sell them to me
    because the computer was down.
    
    I find it unacceptable that they don't have a backup, manual
    process so that customers don't have to return if the computer
    is down.
    
    The travelers checks are just the example.  My real point is how
    many other things are they relying on the system for which it
    would benefit them to develop a manual, backup so that customers
    are not inconvenienced.
    
    Steve

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
585.1	Down for all transactions?	PLOUGH::KINZELMAN	Paul Kinzelman	`Thu Jul 09 1992 15:04`	3
	Gee, when I got trav cks a couple of years ago, the only thing they needed the computer for was to remove money from my account. Are you saying that the computer was down for all transactions or just for traveler's checks?
585.2		SQM::MACDONALD		`Thu Jul 09 1992 16:58`	11
	Re: .1 > Are you saying that the computer was down for all transactions > or just for traveler's checks? I don't know. Steve
585.3	Could blame it on the computer vendor!	SMAUG::GARROD	Floating on a wooden DECk chair	`Thu Jul 09 1992 17:15`	4
	Perhaps the blame should be put on the company responsible for the computing equipment. Wonder what that is... Dave
585.4		FIGS::BANKS	This was	`Thu Jul 09 1992 18:06`	2
	In all fairness, if the computer's down at the local supermarket, you go hungry. It's an unfortunate fact of life, so it seems.
585.5		STARCH::WHALEN	Personal Choice is more important than Political Correctness	`Thu Jul 09 1992 23:27`	8
	In the past when the computer was down I remember the branch in SHR limiting the size of transactions. You could withdraw money from your share draft account, but they limited the amount so that there was less of a chance that someone might overdraft. I also can remember a few times when the cash deliverly was late and they limited the size of withdrawls so that everyone could get some money. Rich
585.6		NETATE::BISSELL		`Fri Jul 10 1992 10:23`	3
	Since the computers are located in Maynard and are in a cluster configuration, I think that it was much more likely that the communications were down.
585.7		SQM::MACDONALD		`Fri Jul 10 1992 10:50`	13
	Re: .4 > In all fairness, if the computer's down at the local supermarket, > you go hungry. It's an unfortunate fact of life, so it seems. Not necessarily. I was at a supermarket where they were having problems, and I didn't take note of how they did it but they were operating manually somehow. They were NOT about to let all that business walk out the door. Steve
585.8	Degraded mode operation	ULTRA::KINDEL	Bill Kindel @ LKG2	`Fri Jul 10 1992 11:20`	13
	Re .4/.7: .4 In all fairness, if the computer's down at the local supermarket, .4 you go hungry. It's an unfortunate fact of life, so it seems. .7 Not necessarily. I was at a supermarket where they were having .7 problems, and I didn't take note of how they did it but they .7 were operating manually somehow. They were NOT about to let .7 all that business walk out the door. Cash registers and other POS (point-of-sale) terminals USUALLY have a failover mode for when they are cut off from the central (or in-store) computer. One would assume that a teller has the same.
585.9		FIGS::BANKS	This was	`Fri Jul 10 1992 12:09`	5
	Oh, I've definitely been in supermarkets that let business walk out the door because of computer failure. Societally, we're hooked on the blasted things. Maybe now is time for a national policy to declare "War on Computers"? Oh, nevermind.
585.10		RANGER::MCANULTY		`Fri Jul 10 1992 15:05`	14
	I was at a market last weekend whose computer was down. It was pretty funny, actually. All the cashiers had manual scales, price lists, and a little hand-held calculator with a paper-strip. It was slow, but there was a definite "we're all in this together" mess. It did, in fact, show me how useful some of the new POS machines really are. But... this is supposed to be a DCU notesfile... So, it does seem that there is/was some procedure for what to do when the machine is down. If the procedure has been discontinued, we probably need to get one in place (either the old one - whatever it was - or a new one). Peter
585.11	Shouldn't have been a problem	ESBLAB::KINZELMAN	Paul Kinzelman	`Thu Jul 16 1992 23:42`	19
	Re: .0 I spoke to DCU about this and they said that below a certain amount (I don't know exactly what the number is) DCU will take the risk and cash checks (or give out traveler's checks). Above this amount, they call in to the central office to look up the account. So there is a manual process. The person I talked to said that probably what happened is that a line problem happens so infrequently that the teller didn't know about the policy or had not been properly informed about it. She would make sure that word gets around to the branches about this. Or you can call the DCU info center and let them know yourself and make sure that it gets solved. Incidently this is the proper procedure when you have a problem like this, or any other for that matter. Call the info center and they will forward your problem to the proper person and they'll call you back. If that doesn't work, you can let me (or any other board member) know. I also asked what happens if the computer itself is down and she said that that event has never happened. But if they can't interrogate your account to make sure you have the money or credit to cover a request, they can't grant it (over what the amount is for which DCU will accept the risk).