My Dad cashed his checks at the liquor store, I had to stay in the car. His employees deposited the business checks, cash payments got a 50% discount and went into his pocket. In the days of 70% marginal rates he came out ahead except for the IRS risk.
My girlfriend has been working at one of these banks for 25 years now, and has risen through the ranks from a lowly teller to bringing home six figures a year. She has about ten years to retirement and hopes the house of cards doesn’t collapse too soon.
The only people who actually go to banks these days, meaning actually go inside the building to do banking, are older people who just don’t do online or internet at all.
Myself, I haven’t been inside a bank in over ten years. There’s just no reason for it anymore, unless you’re talking very large sums of money in loans or investments.