Too many mistakes, I'm not gonna take the time to list a ll of them Machine broken fix machine eat my card will not give it back have to reapply deposit. It takes too long to process. I will not go on any further just ruins my car complaining I could add six other things but there's no point. read more

very poor judgement having skeleton crews inside, often single transactions taking 30 minutes or longer while customers wait in line. It appears free-roaming managers behind the the windows never look up to temporarily step in to clear the line. I came inside because my ATM deposit was rejected repeatedly and I sought to know why. As the only person in line, I waited 30 minutes and once I was "helped" I met with admonitions and scolding because I didn't have my driver's license (I was only using the ATM!) and the curtness and impatience of the Staff person was an abysmal experience. And he never did answer my initial query: what should I do next time so I can deposit my checks via ATM (god knows I never want to go inside again). I'm taking my dough and going somewhere else read more

Want to be treated like a neighbor being cared for and on a first name basis at that. You will get that care and attention and support here. And just opened some good credit card options for my home and business. read more

The Mechanics Bank on Solano Avenue is where I went to change my address when I moved from Berkeley to Albany in 2016. I visited it a few other times as well. It was on my commuting path to and from work on-campus at UC Berkeley. If going during non-rush hour, lunch break, or weekend rush times I found the parking to not be too bad. The workers were friendly and clear in navigating the address change process. Deposits were also straightforward, the time it took to make the deposit depended on the length of the line. read more

FYI. They no longer offer Medalion signature guarantee services. Quiet bank. No lines.

Mechanics Bank, in general is so hard to work with when there is a legal issue to resolve. It appears they cannot approve video/email/notary documents unless in person. This means flying 3000 miles just to get another name on an account. read more

I also wanted to note that for anyone who has a business account - there is no business support over the weekend. Locked out of your account - sorry. Need to talk to a human - sorry. Embarrassing. read more

I entered this branch at 10:38 am and stayed in line until 11:08 am. There were 2 persons in front of me. There were 4?staffs but only one helped customers. One seemed to be the vice president, who is doing Bank opening for customer. Two stayed behind the counter doing busy work. I asked the vice president, if one of the staff can help us besides on who is helping us; she said No. This has been my common experience coming to this branch. My favorite Mechanic Bank is the West Berkeley on Hearst at 4th street. Unfortunately, they are closing in a few days. Every time I visit this branch, they finish my transaction in less than a minute and a half. I obviously don't know why the headquarter closes that brand but it has been the best for me as a customer . read more

Terrible customer service. My husband called in today to clarify a request that a representative on 6/5/2020 who had told us that they were going to reverse a service charge on our zero balance account and close it for us. During this COVID pandemic, we are doing everything possible to avoid going to unnecessary places like the bank since I was due any day and we would not want to compromise our newborn's immune system. We were greatly appreciative of this representative's helpfulness. Fast forward to July. We've been away from home with family who watched over our toddler while we cared for our new born. We come home and review our mail to find statements from Mechanic's that show the negative balance and additional fees that continued to be layered in for a total of $74. The account was supposed to be refunded an initial maintenance fee of $12 and closed since that has been our intention from the get go. My husband calls to clarify why this was the case and they refused to honor what they said they were going to do in June. They noted they have a record of his call back in June, but there were no notes. The call ended nasty and he was presented with two options, come in to pay the fees or they will force close the account and report us to Chex Systems, which would make it difficult for us to ever open a bank account elsewhere. All this for $74 to ruin someone financially and it was their ineptitude in the first place and false promises that caused this. read more

I opened my accounts in this branch and have been a member for over 15 years....but lately their service is deplorable. All new tellers- most retired or moved on through covid- no one seems to know anything and everyone blames the others. Today I stood waiting for the one teller for 45 minutes- she was the only one who spoke Spanish so she was helping a customer fill out loan application. This should not be done at the counter- and not one of the other 4 mechanics employees I saw could step up and help anyone. Finally- there was a little girl there- perhaps 1st or second grade- her mom had brought her to work though she was too sick to go to school and was hacking, wiping her nose on the back of her hand and coughing. So, with a 45 minute wait for at least 10 customers exposed to a hacking wheezing- too sick to go to school child- heading out for Thanksgiving should be interesting- truly truly thoughtless after all we have been through these past years. read more

Like Toni, I use the ATM here and sometimes try to find a short-term parking spot in back for my upper Solano chores. I also came inside once for a non-customer request, and was treated like Family. Mechanics is the Bank I would be a customer, if I wasn't already a happy First Republic person. It's local, cares about the community, and came through the recent financial crisis with its reputation intact. One can't necessarily say that about at least 3 particular mega-banks, who also have branches (and ATMs) on Solano. read more

I've been a Mechanics' customer for about 30 years and have had really good service, so the remarkably poor customer service I received at this Solano Ave. branch today was a surprise. I came in around 1:00 pm. One customer was being helped, I learned later, by the two tellers who were working on something behind a second counter of equipment. The only other employee was at a desk on the platform area. They all ignored me for at least 5 minutes before one of the tellers told me they wouldn't be able to help me for another 10 minutes. She asked if I had a deposit, and I said I did. When she found out I was depositing my stimulus debit card, she said this bank could not do that, I would have to go somewhere else. Since many customers will be coming in to do this, why isn't there a sign on the door telling them to go elsewhere? One star applies to this branch only. read more

Received horrible customer service over the phone from one of the bankers - Fatima. Dear Fatima, if you want to succeed in your role, perhaps you'd avoid sighing and acting rude. What banker hangs up on their client? ?? Are you really not happy in your position? ?? Perhaps you were not aware that your job requires to be courteous, helpful and go above and beyond! One suggestion for you , on your day off please look up what being PROFESSIONAL means. read more

I opened a business checking account for my non-profit, aiming to give our business to a local bank. What a mistake! Don't waste your time with Mechanics Bank. Here's a bit of what we experienced: 1. It's been over 3 weeks since opening the account and I've still not received our ATM/debit card; 2. Their online banking services don't even allow you to add external accounts for transfers (our savings account is with Capital One SparkBusiness - Mechanics Bank doesn't even provide a way for us to transfer funds to our savings account!) 3. Customer service is 40+ minute holds. I called, waited almost a half hour to get a phone rep, who told me she needed to transfer me to business banking. I waited another 20 minutes before hanging up. Overall terrible banking experience - avoid Mechanics Bank for business banking! read more

Mechanics Bank used to be a great bank BUT a bank in Texas bought them. It's been all down hill since then. Had a question about charges on my account and spent 31 minutes on a phone call to them. About 30 of those minutes were on hold listening to their stupid messages about "higher than normal call volume". When an agent came on line he wanted the answers to security questions. I guess my answers to where were you born and what was my Mother's maiden name were correct as I heard no comment but they had a different date for my date of birth(it had not changed) so I got no service. Am only on Yelp looking for another bank for my more or less $250,000 in accounts. Avoid these guys. All of the bad service that comes from a mega-bank without the convenience of a branch on every corner. read more

Prompted by Eric B's review of the Albany branch of Mechanics, I checked to see whether I had reviewed this one and I hadn't. I have banked at this building since it was Great Western Savings, before it was Mechanics Bank. My branch is in El Cerrito, but this one is handy when I'm on Solano and need to use the ATM. Occasionally I have gone inside when I have bank business that needs a teller and everyone has been helpful and friendly. They have a little parking lot in back that's been convenient. But most important is that Mechanics is a family owned bank that is responsibly run, reimburses us for ATM fees worldwide, did not contribute to the housing debacle via predatory or careless lending practices and did not take any federal bailout money. I am proud to claim them as my bank. read more

Mechanics Bank is AWESOME. First of all, there's very little wait, if any, every time I go in there, which is, in and of itself, GOOD. Secondly, everyone in there is super nice. I'm always coming in there with an Albertson's bag of cash (it's where Impact banks; it's not like I have that kind of money myself) and they never throw me attitude over having to count a brazillion ones and whatnot. You'd be surprised how little a bag of ones and fives adds up to. Donate to Impact! OK, moving on. Once or twice I've been overdrawn there because A. I'm retarded and B. Impact is broke and C. Some of you bitches don't deposit your checks for months! (Helen, I am looking at you). Instead of making me feel like a tool, they actually called me at home to let me know what was going on and then were incredibly nice and understanding about it both on the phone and then when I sheepishly showed up to rectify the problem. We've never had anything but A+ service from this bank. They must treat their employees well, because everyone in there is very VERY friendly and nice and helpful. When you have to drag your ass unwillingly into, say, BofA or Wells Fargo, the tellers all look at you like they're thinking, "Eat a dick, bitch!" and dreaming of the days when tellers had real windows they could slam on people's unsuspecting fingers. This branch has a tiny parking lot (like, seriously three spaces) but it works because there's almost always an available space. It's next to a Starbucks and a Jamba in case you need corporate drink loving, but I never go there because I feel too guilty parking in the bank parking lot while I'm waiting for my fucking latte. I have just enough integrity not to do that but not enough integrity to not go to Starbucks. Meh. OK, I'm done eating and now I have to get back to work. (fake British accent) Laters! read more

I have been a customer of Mechanics Bank for several years. They definitely set themselves apart from the big box banks with their customer service. The employees are competent, polite, and actually know me, which is rare in this day and age. And they sent my 5 year old a happy birthday card for his birthday (he has a savings account with a small amount of money in it-- surprising they don't charge monthly fees for his account). They have ATM rebates to reimburse you for ATM fees so you can go to any ATM you would like for zero cost, unlike the big box banks. And unlike my experiences with WaMu, Wells Fargo, and BOA, Mechanics Bank doesn't try to bleed you to death with fees for every possible thing they can think of. read more

I like Mechanic's bank, I have account with them for years, but this branch is a disaster. I had 3 tripe there for a money wiring.

I've banked with these people for over a decade and when the rubber had to meet the road, they really let me down. I'm trying to do a simple mutual fund transfer and need what is called a medallion signature guarantee. And you know what? They do everything they can to make this maximally inconvenient and pretty much impossible. They limit what you can sign for. They want powers of attorney from every single person involved, including the deceased. They basically will do whatever they can to say, "No. Fuck off." I'm going to close out my account and open one at another bank. These people are clearly too small town to do business in the San Francisco Bay Area. read more

Edit 5/20/15 Wow! The area manager, Grant Shoef, called me on 5/19 to address all of the points in my original review below. He was lovely, and genuinely concerned and gave explanations, solutions, and apologies. Two stars added! It seems that sole proprietors like me are in somewhat of a business limbo. Even though I'm a business, as a sole proprietor my banking needs are more of the personal type. And guess what? Without changing any account numbers or cards or really anything at all, my business account can be switched to be handled as a personal account. Which means I will be able to use the mobile app to deposit checks, and access all account info (like account numbers!) online. If this actually works out, I'll add a fourth star. Grant also addressed the issue of the surly teller and the change in culture at the Shattuck branch over the past couple of years. I give him five stars for this, but overall can't give it to the branch just yet. Stay tuned... --------------------- 5/15/15 This review is based on several years experience as a business account holder. I posted similar to the Shattuck Branch page because that's the branch I use, but this is the branch where I opened my account. I give one star because that's the lowest you can give. I figure one star for some of the nice people plus zero for each of the bullet points below- if you do the math they still come out ahead. Back when everything went to hell in the financial market I switched from Bank of America to Mechanics Bank because I wanted to go local. I'm (mostly) pleased with their human interactions, but their systems are awful. 1- Only personal account holders have the ability to deposit checks via smart phone. I often travel for work and have to mail in my account deposits (and don't get a deposit slip). Wouldn't it make more sense to offer this service to entrepreneurs/contractors/small business owners rather than the people who likely already have their pay come in via direct deposit? 2- Deposits can not be made using the ATM machine. 3- The online system is a nightmare. Some small improvements have been made over the years, but it's still a disaster. Finding past statements- sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. Which leads me to... 4- I'm all paperless, so I should be able to find my account numbers online, right? No. Again only personal account holders can see their account numbers online. For "security purposes" business account numbers aren't accessible anywhere online. Wait, what? 5- This is what lead me to write this review. I called in to find out my account numbers because I need them for a rental application and don't have all of my original paperwork for both accounts readily handy. I had to wait 25 minutes before someone came on the line to access them for me. As a business owner/entrepreneur every minute is money and to lose almost half an hour on hold just to find out my account number (for the ridiculous reasons stated above). If it wasn't so damn complicated I would switch, but at the moment it just doesn't seem feasible. read more

I have been banking at Mechanics Bank for more than five years. Previously we have banked at all the big ones... Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America. The reason for the change to a small local bank is simply, customer service. If something comes up you get a phone call from a person. If you have a need you call and talk to a person and that person may be somebody you know, you may see them when you do your banking, if you ever go in there. Tech... they have been way behind on tech for many years. But! They have upgraded many systems, I can easily upload all data into QuickBooks, connect personal bank accounts with business bank accounts, make mobile deposits. Why do I stay at Mechanics Bank? The personal customer service. I don't like the limited ATM access. I think they give me a small allowance to use other ATMs. Then they charge for ATM access. This is new... A couple years ago. I don't use ATMs often, so no big deal to me. read more

I have been a long time customer of Mechanics Bank but have noticed a major decline in the customer service over the past couple years. I chose to put my review with this branch only b/c my last negative experience was inside of the branch. First of all, their ATMs are horrible for deposits. The machines are supposed to read your check when depositing it, but only about 1/2 the time do they actually work. You then have to come back to the bank during business hours to make the deposit. I've been so inconvenienced by this- having to leave work early to get to the bank before they close so I can make a deposit in person which is just absurd. They tell me to put it in the depository but every time I've tried, it is locked. When I complain about this to the tellers, they are pretty dismissive about it, and the last one told me that they document every complaint and check the ATM to diagnose the problem so they can upgrade the machines. But there I was, telling her my complaint, which she did not document at all, did not ask me even one question about my experience, or apologize for the inconvenience. Lord have mercy do not try to make a wire transfer at this bank. It took me over 1 hour to make one international wire transfer at this branch. It took 40 minutes at El Cerrito. Either way, doing one wire transfer should NOT take this long. It is painful. The online banking is not very good. If you have a problem at night, you are SOL and can't pay your bills or do anything because they do not have 24/7 staffing of their online banking department the way other banks do. I had huge problems every time a check i send via online bill pay doesn't go through. One online banking staffer actually reissued a check that didn't go through, without telling me and without my permission! I give MB three stars because it is a local bank that I like to support, and if your banking needs are minimal, they are just fine. And I've been a very long time customer and my dissatisfaction has only been in the last couple years since they changed the ATMS and since I started using online bill pay which obviously is not very good. (And they no longer have live people answering the phones the way they used to, now you have to wait on hold to get a live person, just like any other bank). read more

High end operation, well kept bay area secret. Perfect customer service and excellent bank policies. My money will always live here.

I have been using Mechanics Bank for close to 30 years, most recently the Solano Ave branch. When I was younger (in my twenties) I needed a loan to purchase property and applied to several of the bigger banks along with Mechanics Bank. Mechanics not only approved the loan but treated me very well. The other large banks didn't even bother to respond. On a daily basis the customer service is outstanding and friendly. Mechanics online banking is easy to use. Bank local, you will be glad you did! read more

I've been working with Thuy, the branch manager, for a little over a year now. I applied for 2 home equity line of credits with her and was dreading the whole process. I thought it's going to be a long process with nonsense requirements but it was a very easy process to my surprise and with Thuy's help every step of the way I'm glad that I did it with them. A year after and still whenever I have a question she is there to help. She is very knowledgable of al the policies and guidelines and gets back to me quickly. Couldn't be more happier! :) read more

I have banked at Mechanics Bank for over ten years, and their customer service has consistently been better than any bank I have dealt with. The cost for an account is competitive, mistakes are dealt with quickly, and staff are willing to spend time figuring out how to meet my banking needs. read more

I have been a customer of MB for the last 6+ years since I moved to the Bay Area. I have preferred smaller banks/credit unions since I have had constantly bad experiences with a range of larger banks, especially with stupid mistakes and poor customer service. MB has been consistently good quality over the years. I have only a few small issues with them, which they have always quickly and friendly corrected for me. Today Zusa (I'm sure I'm mangling the spelling) at the North Berkeley branch was able to help work through an issue that came up and was willing to provide flexibility in bank policy to ensure I had access to my cash over the weekend. It was nice that they allow their staff to have some flexibility in policy to ensure good customer service. I also like the reimbursement of ATM fees from other banks - makes it much easier not having to find a local branch. read more

Jom was incredibly patient and thorough while presiding over a very stressful wiring situation. There was a point where my behavior was on the ruder side, but she continued to provide me with excellent service. She graciously accepted my apology, which was much appreciated. read more

This is the most AWESOME branches of Mechanics Bank. You seriously can go into this bank and actually feel great. Everyone is so very nice, you are greeted by your first name everytime by someone. Do you know how great that feels? There is never any kind of attitude with anyone for any reason. You are treated very well here. Our family has had most of our accounts down the road at the other Mechanics office for over 30 years and do you know, they still do not know us, we are never greeted there and the wait is long. So I go to the North Berkeley Branch because of the great service. It's even dog friendly if you are out walking the dog, treats included! It's a small office, but surrounded by plenty of great places. Worth checking out, seriously! read more

I have two corporate accounts with Mechanics Bank and go to the Solano branch for banking. They have been nothing less than professional, courteous and knowledgeable,directed and guided by their awesome branch manager Ms. Thuy Nguyen. One of the corporations, New Child Fundamentals, a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization dedicated to children and their families was just awarded a $1000 grant by the Mechanics Bank charity division, which will go towards tutoring, music lessons, and parenting classes. It is great to see financial institutions which are dedicated to their community. Mechanics is a great choice for divesting from big banks whose irresponsible practices led to the financial crisis the Bushe era or those investing in the Dakota Access Pipeline. read more

Not overly impressed so far...first was told by manager that no desk agents but one would be there when we wanted to come in and set up our account, so it might be difficult for her to see us...turns out there was 3 that morning. No need to lie but whatever...then , checks arent included , so we ordered a box, problem was we were depositing a check so it wouldn't clear for 8 days. No worries, we would stay clear for 8 days , then use the account. Well that didn't stop the manager from ordering those checks anyways and as a result , over drafting our account in the process. You'd think a manager might know better or perhaps give us a heads up or even why dont you pay with another card, account, whatever. Not very professional to say the least. Online banking experience is also less than ideal. It's like they are 10 years behind BOA or Chase. Maybe in 10 years they will be caught up to where we are now with major banks. We wanted to support a local bank, but we do expect a little honesty and professionalism in return. read more

What's happened to the customer service at this bank? It used to be owned by a family, but now seems to be run by mean girls from high school. I am sure all the girls there have a better degree than I do and they are just killing time till something better comes along, but they don't need to be so condescending about it. It only takes one customer to ruin your business, and I will never go in that branch again. read more

Customer service is sluggish, at best. The tellers are generally nice, and the bank is very good about the safety of accounts, which is why I bank there. But I much prefer the customer service at Wells Fargo across the street. Wells Fargo makes an effort to serve customers as quickly as possible, and to acknowledge customers who are waiting. Often, at Mechanics, the tellers will ignore customers. I've heard tellers engage in a personal conversation with a customer for upwards of l0 minutes, while other customers have waited on line. The teller can see people are waiting, but ignore them. I think that this is rude and disrespectful of customers. I hope that Mechanics will do something about this. If there are people waiting, the teller should not have a private conversation that goes on and on. read more

I recently had the good fortune of connecting with Thuy Nguyen, branch manager at the Mechanics Bank in North Berkeley. She does a fantastic job in supporting the Albany-Berkeley community. The Albany High School PTSA recently asked for support for our Safe and Sober 2017 Disneyland Grad Night trip that is coming up in June. She went above and beyond to ensure our needs and request were met. Our PTSA is lucky to have our account at this Mechanics Bank branch! :) read more

I have been banking at the Solano Ave. Mechanics Bank for my bussiness, personal, and family for about 15 years. Everyone there is SO nice and SO helpful and they REALLY take care of me- its not just words or a smile. My accounts are protected by their watchfull eyes and they even call me when necessary. I could not be happier with this branch of Mechanics. In this day and age, this is a very rare high level of care and trust. read more