Internet Banking

I am posting on this topic because as I was looking at some of the fastest growing career paths in banking, I saw that e-banking or integrating the technical department with the sales and marketing departments of banks has become a larger need in many smaller banks. As I was on the phone with a client today I also realized that the way banking is done in the future not only lies with what is possible, but with what is demanded by customers. Although some banks that I work with have the capabilities and capital to implement technology that is being used by their competition, I see that they are not headed in that direction. Being of the Gen Y, I wondered "Why wouldn't you want gain an advantage on your competition by being on the cutting edge of technology?" The answer was one that I didn't even realize was a larger part of being competitive and that is unparalleled customer service, a friendly face that you can speak to one-to-one when you have a problem. Although I appreciate the convenience of online banking--and I do!---I also am one of the first to complain about not being able to check an account balance because a website is down for maintenence, or call a customer service line only to be placed on hold for 15 minutes and then transferred to a CSR outsourced to a foreign country because the bank has no actual brick and mortar building where tellers and loan officers can answer my questions. I wonder if this can be a niche for some banks to continue this way of banking while still being competitive with the high tech banks? I also wonder with the new generation of bankers coming into the employment market, if it will be more difficult to attract top talent into banks who prefer to do banking "the old fashioned way"