Mechanics Bank

Staff on site were always very friendly but the bank as an organization is disorganized. I opened my account 4 months ago and they still have not been able to get me an ATM card. Every time I call they say it is «in the mail». Luckily they are not the primary bank that I use!

I wanted to update my prior review since the bank did return my call. The overall experience was fine.

Our family has been doing business with Mechanics Bank since the early 60’s at the El Cerrito Plaza branch — and in Kensington for the last 7 years or so. I can’t say enough about this Bank, especially relative to the large national Banks which I am still using on a minimal level. One example, if you ever need to call them — they ANSWER THE PHONE! No voicemail hell! They’re smart people too, as folksy as it gets. If your account has a problem (wrong check written on the account, etc) they call you before they charge you. It’s like going back 50 years in a good way.

(old review) the only reservation i have is their poor rates for investments. this branch is outstanding: the staff are all trained to recognise you, and even anticipate your needs. contrary to a negative review above, they have an appropriate relation between guichets and customer numbers, the only hiccups occurring when a local business or two turn up to handle their cash affairs. I moved from bank of america after it cashed a cheque that bore no relation to my details beyond a hand-​edited account number. never looked back since.
update (⁵⁄₂₀₁₅) mechanics bank as a whole has been taken over & acquired an ambitious, expansionist ceo. priority imho is now with the business, not the customer, two indications being the desperate understaffing at head office of contact phone lines and online chat, and the new formality when it comes to rules (i’ve had them decline to allow me to promptly deposit cash to someone else’s account without that person’s permission, and to be similarly cautious concerning the depositing of joint checks).
we miss you, kim!

I’ve been doing personal and business banking with Mechanics Bank for about eight years. I’m exceedingly pleased with the service I get from the Bank overall and from the Kensington branch in particular.
When someone presented a check with my account number on it at an SF branch of the bank (a branch I’ve never set foot in), the teller somehow suspected something was amiss and pulled up images of some of my recently cleared checks. When they didn’t match, she called me. When I didn’t pick up in time, she called my alternate number. Ultimately, I helped confirm her suspicion that the check was a forgery. I’ve never had a bank make that kind of effort to protect my accounts.
Better still, when I showed up at the Kensington branch early the next morning and without phoning ahead, the financial services officer had already prepared the necessary forms for closing the compromised account and moving over to a new account.
I like and appreciate the friendly tellers who greet me by name. I like that the Mechanics Bank is less expensive than the major banks. But looking out for me and anticipating my needs is what really sets this bank apart from the herd.

Really bad service!!! I don’t know what it is about this branch, but it is SO much worse than any of the other Mechanic’s branches. I have been banking with Mechanic’s for 20 years, usually use the ATM, but today I made the mistake of going inside. There were three windows open, two people waiting ahead of me, and it took 15 minutes to get out of there. This branch is poorly managed and has way too much turn-​over. Is it a real bank? No way. It’s more of a social club for the oldies who bank there.

When I first moved to California I opened up an account with Citibank and the customer service was horrrrrrrible.
Someone recommended Mechanics and was impressed since day one.
Kimberly is the best banker I’ve ever had!
I feel like I am totally spoiled and will never be able to find a bank like that again when I move back to Canada.

It’s a wonder that people still put up with what passes for «service» at the big banks when they can get real service and pay less at Mechanics Bank. Without a doubt, this is the best bank I have ever dealt with. You really feel like they want your business, and they will go out their way to make you happy. I’ve moved all my banking here, and have never regretted it.

This bank really is as good as it gets. The people who work here go out of their way to be friendly, to listen and to make sure you’re comfortable on the rare occasion you may have to wait. I’ll never forget Kimberly Wilson notarizing a document today for free when she heard it was for our adoption. «Don’t worry about it,» she said when I asked where to pay, «It’s for a good cause.»
If you’re coming from Bank of America like I was, the neighborhood feel of of a local Mechanic’s Bank can be a real shock. They remember you. Chris O’Brian, the previous bank manager, once called to warn me about a late fee. He seemed genuinely concerned, and then followed up to make sure we weren’t charged. We have only been with this bank for about six months but I have no complaints at all and am in fact, really quite impressed.

I have used the ATM many times but today was the first time I walked into the bank itself. I had a bag of groceries to put in the donation barrel at my former workplace in Vallejo next week but a barrel in the window of the bank caught my eye so I went to the car to fetch the bag. When I walked into the bank I was surprised by its old-​time charm. The tellers’ counter is curved and made of oak. It looked as if it sprang from the early 20^th century, or earlier. The teller I spoke w/​was friendly. I did no business today, but I expect I will in the future.