These representatives were hired for their for skills in giving courteous, friendly service over the phone and were paid salaries of $28,000 to $40,000 annually ; some firms had modest incentive bonuses for representatives based on the number of phone calls they handled daily and the volume of trades they executed. Discount brokers typically provided customers with little, if any, investment information or new updates on companies. A few, most notably Charles Schwab, Quick & Reilly, and Fidelity, had a network of local offices to serve walk-in customers in large metropolitan areas, but the majority did business primarily by phone and operated mainly out of a central office with perhaps a few branch offices. Banks that had discount brokerage units usually had personnel in their various banking offices and branches who were able to answer questions, open brokerage accounts, and, in some cases, sell mutual funds; however, all stock transactions were normally initiated over the phone, with customers speaking directly to brokerage representatives located in a central office.