ATMs are probably the one piece of information technology that no-one, no matter how technophobic, can really avoid using from time to time. This is a shame, as they have perhaps the worst user interfaces on offer in anything designed to be used by the general public.
You put in your card, and wait for a while; give it time to wake up. Select the language; has anyone ever selected Irish? Do they even have an Irish UI translation, or is the option just there for show? Select the amount of money. Enter pin. Marvel at the screen informing you that this machine only does multiples of fifty euro, and the maximum withdrawal is 120 (I have actually seen this). Wait, while machine slowly ejects card. Attempt to re-insert card, and discover that the contraption prefers a few moments to think between transactions, even if they are transactions that it has rejected out of hand. Re-insert card, and continue.
Perhaps you would quite like a receipt, but it's not the end of the world if you can't have one? Select the option for having a receipt, go through above process, receive the message that the machine doesn't have any paper for receipt, throw card away in frustration.
Both of these things are very easy to fix, by simply telling the user of the relevant restrictions beforehand, or, in the case of the first, allowing a new transaction without rejecting the card. You might say that this is not allowed for security reasons, but you would apparently be wrong; a few machines do tell you beforehand, and many machines allow you to opt for a second transaction after successfully receiving cash... but not after being rejected due to choosing something which can't be made up with fifty euro notes, even though that would be rather more useful. The receipt thing is clearly pure perversity. Oh, and to add insult to injury, it will show you ads for undesirable mortgages.
The worst of it is, when the new UIs come, they will inevitably be worse, not better. You know those ticket machines in railway stations and LUAS stops? The ones where you generally have to stab the screen vigorously to get any response, especially if the train is about to leave? The ones which, after you've gone through the whole process, will occasionally decide that they're not accepting some, or in some cases any, payment methods today? It will be just like that. Only with a more annoying voiceover.
Still, it could be worse. ATMs are free here, of course, but apparently in the US they often add a service charge. Imagine! Pay extra, to be insulted by a machine!
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