Technology for Good and Bad

I closed an account at Bank of America a few months ago. After I showed my driver's license to the teller, he swiped it through the magnetic card reader at this station. Perhaps I haven't been dealing with banks and bank tellers much lately, but I was intrigued and amused.

Then, of course, he proceeded to try to sell me a Bank of America credit card. I told him I already have enough credit cards and he proceeded to enter that little bit of information into his terminal.

Perhaps the programming elves at Bank of America implemented the "read the DMV magnetic strip" as an ease-of-use measure, or perhaps they are trying to reduce the number of data entry errors by their front-line people. In any case, it certainly made it easier for me, since I wasn't carrying the bank card that came with the account.

This use of technology I appreciate.

I didn't, on the other hand, appreciate Bank of America making the teller try to sell me something, and I certainly didn't appreciate that they then make him record why. I've already had to deal with a number of telesales calls from them (until I told them to put me on their Do Not Call list). I wonder if my interaction with the teller just took me back off their Do Not Call list. If so, I'll just go through getting off it again.