What is Bank Scheduling Software? Top Appointment Booking FAQs for Banks and Credit Unions
Your customers and members know what they want: fast, convenient, and easy self-service tools they can access from anywhere. They don’t want to waste time in long lines, wait on hold to connect to the right person, or fill out a form and wait days for a response to an appointment request. This is where bank scheduling software comes in. By letting clients choose their own path, appointment booking software ensures every interaction with your institution is a great one. In this article, we’ll explain everything your financial institution should know about bank appointment software: what it is, how it works, and why it’s so essential to improving your customer or member experience, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. What Is Electronic Appointment Scheduling? Electronic appointment scheduling is an easy-to-use, flexible system that allows people to book their own appointments with advisors at your financial institution. Customers, members, and staff can access the software from any computer or mobile device, and then choose when, where, and how to meet by viewing open time slots in a calendar. Clients can use the system any time of day—even outside of business hours—and adjust appointments in just a few clicks. The system makes it easier to match customers and members with the right specialist and gives staff greater visibility into scheduled appointments across the entire financial institution. Appointment booking software offers more than self-serve bank scheduling for in-person and virtual meetings. It also delivers queue management tools, video banking, analytics, and data. Ultimately, the all-in-one platform creates a simple, intuitive experience before, during, and after appointments. More great news: Bank scheduling software benefits both customers/members and staff in a host of ways: How Does an Appointment System Work? Bank appointment software is intuitive and easy to use. Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of how it all works. Seamless Integration With Staff Calendars Appointment systems seamlessly connect with your team’s existing calendars (Google, Microsoft, etc) to find their appointment availability. These real-time integrations show live availability to customers, members, and staff alike so there are no double- or over-bookings. Backend users can set team availability by hours, specific times for certain appointment types, or even set up by location availability by branch. It can also be configured for hybrid or virtual appointment options and hours for staff who want to handle appointments remotely. (This depends on if video banking options are integrated into the system or not.) Staff can also share individual links to their calendars so customers and members can book with them directly. Advisors can view their meeting schedule at a glance, and learn more about customers or members before their appointment. And once the appointment is over, they can record outcomes and take notes on follow-ups, making every interaction more effective. Proactive, Easy Booking The booking interface that clients and staff see can be embedded or integrated into your website, mobile banking app, and lobby tablet so customers and members have access in-person, at home, or on the go. Customers and members enjoy simple self-service tools that allow them to book an appointment in just a few clicks. No need for them to fumble through your website or wait on hold. While booking an appointment, they can fill out a quick questionnaire to route them to the right staff member, choose a convenient appointment time and location (or virtual appointment), and provide relevant information for the meeting. They can even check out in-person wait times and join a virtual queue if the appointment scheduling software has queue management integrations or features—all without ever having to wait for the help of a staff member. And if they don’t want to wait in line? Then they can book an appointment for a later date, either in person, over the phone, or via video. No matter which option they choose, flexibility and convenience are the name of the game. After booking, the customer or member gets a calendar invite with meeting details, along with a link to adjust their appointment if needed. Thanks to easy edit features and appointment reminders, people are less likely to forget about or ditch their appointments. Simple, Powerful Administrative Controls On the backend, staff members can use appointment scheduling software to easily make changes to services, add new locations or staff to the system, and track important data related to the appointment. Metrics like appointment volume, length, and more, help financial institutions see what’s working—and what can be improved to make appointments more efficient and effective. They can also get a bird’s-eye view of staffing capacity, utilization, and branch traffic so they can better understand where they may need more or less staff to serve clients effectively. Integrations with Customer Relationship Management software (CRMs) or Business Intelligence (BI) tools allow for customer or member appointment activity to be shared across systems for a more complete picture of their engagement with your institution at large. What Are the Types Of Appointment Systems? The best bank scheduling software offers many ways for customers, members, and staff to engage and communicate. Here are just a few of the most common types of appointment systems: Why Is an Appointment System Important? Bank appointment scheduling is important for several reasons. It helps improve your customer or member experience, increases operational efficiency, provides data-backed insights, and drives growth and retention. Let’s explore each of these benefits in closer detail. 1. Improve Your Customer and Member Experience Today’s consumers want more choice, flexibility, ease of use, and visibility from their financial institutions. The pandemic led to a huge shift in consumer habits, with 50% of FI customers’ activities switched from in-person to digital in 2020. Those patterns are sticking in the post-pandemic world, with 36% of customers wanting to avoid branches altogether—up sharply from 26% in early 2020. Bank appointment scheduling helps meet these details, giving customers and members more control over their experience and streamlining the entire customer journey. This drives higher Net Promoter Scores and better Customer Satisfaction Scores, equating to happier,
Appointment Tracking Software and Metrics: What Financial Institutions Should Know
In a nutshell 🥥 Appointment tracking turns everyday customer interactions into actionable insights. By using appointment management software—not spreadsheets or guesswork—banks and credit unions can finally see real-time data on walk-ins, appointment volume, staff capacity, sentiment, no-shows, and service demand. These insights help teams optimize staffing, improve customer experience, and understand which products and services drive growth. In short: better data = better decisions. Why Tracking Appointments is the Key to Smarter Banking Decisions For many financial institutions, making strategic decisions can feel like guesswork. Should you expand a branch? Hire more staff? Shift your product focus? Without clear insight into how customers and members actually interact with your team, it’s difficult to know which decisions will drive the strongest results. That’s why tracking appointments and walk-ins—the core touchpoints of everyday branch activity—is one of the most powerful ways to eliminate uncertainty. When banks and credit unions understand who is coming in, why they’re visiting, and how those interactions unfold, operational blind spots disappear. The result? Smarter staffing, better branch planning, and a more seamless experience for customers and members. In this blog, we’ll break down what appointment tracking software is, what metrics matter most, and how financial institutions can use this data to make confident, data-driven decisions. Making decisions for your financial institution can sometimes feel like a shot in the dark: Which branches need more resources? How many staff members should you hire? Where should you open your next branch? And which products or services do your customers and members want the most? Luckily, the answers to even the toughest questions become more clear when you start tracking the lifeblood of your institution: appointments and walk-ins. Once you know how, when, and where your clients interact with staff, all the guesswork disappears. So how can banks and credit unions track and measure these key interaction points? It all begins with appointment tracking software and metrics. In this blog, we’ll share best practices for appointment tracking, and offer tips for how to select and use appointment tracking software at your bank or credit union. What Software Is Used to Keep Track of Appointments? In the digital era, it’s hard to believe that many financial institution’s are still using paper notes or best guesses to understand appointment volume—but it’s the truth. (Yikes.) Slightly more advanced institutions might use spreadsheets, calendar tools, or a queue sign-in system to get a better idea of appointments and foot traffic. But honestly, these methods aren’t much more effective. The best tracking tool is specialized software used to keep track of appointments, that integrates with your bank or credit union seamlessly. When staff and clients use these tools to track appointments, they get more accurate data that improves the client experience and drives smarter decision-making. What Is Appointment Management Software? Appointment management software connects directly to your team’s calendars to find blocks of time for appointments, so you can say goodbye to email and phone tag. Customers and members can quickly book, reschedule, or cancel their own appointments at their preferred branch, rather than contacting an advisor every time they want to book or make a change to their meeting time. Customers who can’t make it into the branch can book convenient virtual appointments, which frees up time for advisors and customers alike. Here’s how it works: How Does Software for Tracking Appointments Work? Once staff or advisors finish an appointment, they can add notes and reminders for future customer interactions. Once they close the appointment in the platform, it’ll record the engagement in the reporting section of the platform. This data can be accessed via analytics dashboards to review performance, volume, conversion rates, and more. Institutions can use data to make smarter decisions about staffing and product offerings. Appointment tracking software also records no-shows. But since customers and members receive automatic appointment reminders and can easily rebook appointments, no-show rates tend to plummet. With the right integrations, this critical information seamlessly integrates with your CRM, business intelligence tools, and more to paint a complete picture of customer and member engagement. What Does Appointment Tracker Software Reporting Include? Appointment tracking software offers detailed reports of everything from walk-in traffic to staff sentiment. Ultimately, you can tailor the tool to capture the data that’s most relevant to the growth of your business. Here are just a few of the data categories your bank or credit union may want to track: Get a full list of appointment tracking software metrics in our Banking Analytics guide. What App Should I Use to Keep Track of My Institution’s Appointments? Appointment scheduling software comes equipped with the tracking and analytics tools needed to keep track of your institution’s appointments. And if you offer queue and video appointments, you can track that too. The best apps are built specifically with financial institution’s in mind, including key features like: How Do Individuals Keep Track of Their Appointments? Appointment management software makes appointment tracking effortless for staff and advisors. A single calendar view allows for easy viewing and sharing. From there staff members can book out blocks of time, see what’s on their schedule, transfer appointments to other staff members, and more. After an appointment, advisors can save their notes, track outcomes, and make a list of next steps. With such an organized, efficient system, customers, members, and staff all come away more satisfied, and administrative teams have greater visibility that helps grow the business. Who Can Access Customer Appointment Tracking Software Calendars? It’s easy to set unique permissions for appointment tracking software calendars. Advisors and other staff members can gain access to different levels of data, so the information stays secure and confidential. Meanwhile, customers and members get access to the universal calendar, so they have the freedom to book an appointment with their preferred staff member. Branch and retail operations managers can get access to overall reporting, giving them insights into staff capacity, utilization, branch traffic, and more. This information empowers them to make smarter staffing choices and help the
5 Appointment Technology Implementation Tips For Banks and Credit Unions
In a nutshell 🥥 What does a successful appointment technology implementation actually look like? We tell five stories of smooth-sailing rollouts—including how an internal pre-launch equipped the team at KEMBA FCU for their public launch and how interactive video training led to overwhelmingly positive software adoption at Rogue Credit Union. Use the collective wisdom of these banks and credit unions to help you navigate your own appointment and queuing software rollout. Want to dive deeper? Read our 8-step software roll-out guide Implementing Appointment Technology: What Banks Can Learn From Real Rollouts Rolling out new appointment and queuing software isn’t just about switching on a new tool—it’s about preparing your team, refining your processes, and creating a smoother experience for your members from day one. And the best way to get it right is to learn from financial institutions that have already done it successfully. In this guide, we break down five real-world implementation stories from banks and credit unions that turned their rollouts into genuine wins. From KEMBA FCU’s internal incubation period to Rogue Credit Union’s interactive training approach, these insights reveal what works, what to avoid, and how to set your team up for confident adoption. Whether you’re planning your first implementation or refining an existing system, these lessons will help you create a rollout that feels seamless—for both staff and members. Let’s dive into the strategies that can make your appointment technology launch a standout success. 1. Create time for incubation. Candy Shearer, a Senior Member Care Manager at KEMBA FCU, swears by an internal incubation period for your technology implementation process. “On a scale of 1-10 in importance, I’d say this was a 20. It generated a lot of knowledge among the associates that encouraged members to understand it and find it super easy.” So that’s exactly what they did. “When we first launched, we left a two-week incubation period for associates to practice setting up appointments and understanding the system,” says Candy. It allowed their team to get comfortable using the software, troubleshoot customer scenarios, and iron out last- minute IT hiccups. As a result, after implementing appointments, KEMBA FCU grew its membership by 6% and loan production by 13%. 2. Make next-level training materials. Your appointment software vendor will likely supply your rollout team with training resources. But your team knows how they learn best. That’s why the team at Rogue Credit Union created their own internal video course and skill-testing quiz as a prerequisite for gaining access to their appointments and queuing software. The video course was a walk-through of the entire booking and meetings process for in-person branch staff, advisors, and call center staff. The course was based on the common circumstances they face while booking appointments, tracking actions, and serving members. And each team member passed the course by completing a quiz before they gained full access to the software. The result was an overwhelming success. “The reaction from the team was incredibly positive—they loved how interactive and entertaining this training was and how easy it made learning the new software,” says Edwin Rivera, Member Delivery Administrator. At the end of their initial rollout, Rogue CU had an almost perfect adoption rate, ensuring everyone was at the same level of knowledge when they started serving members using the new software. 3. Pair appointments with an offer. Before using appointments, Addition Financial used to have its sales team call all new members. “Because many of those new members came from indirect channels, such as partnerships with auto dealerships, the connect rate was low—just 5%,” says John Ryczek, Director of Branch Operations. John’s team knew their approach to new members needed to be different because they wanted to create a relationship that outlasted their short-term auto loan. So, they offered new members an opportunity to connect with an advisor 1:1 via a self-serve appointment scheduling link sent by email. Many members shared that those appointments were the only time a short-term lender explained their new loan, their payment options, and offered face-to-face service. And the results speak for themselves: Addition Financial’s connect rate rose to 25%. 4. Lean on your software partner. The Rogue CU team thought they had a unique use case: They needed a way to assign float staff to various branches across their service area and track their schedules. During their rollout, they brought up this ‘wishlist’ feature to their implementation partners at Coconut, assuming the Coconut team would hear their feedback and put it on the back burner. “I was surprised to get the call that the technical team at Coconut had created a float functionality that could help us track staff scheduling across our branches,” says Edwin. The lesson? Don’t be afraid to ask for support from your new software partner and offer your feedback throughout the process. You may not get a new feature, but your feedback may uncover a workaround or inform future software improvements. 5. Be open to change post-launch. Even if your implementation sails smoothly and your clients love it, there will always be areas for improvement. Managing change is part of your rollout too. As Kristina Smith, AVP of Retail Operations at UMassFive FCU discovered, you should be tracking your rollout, and based on what you learn, update your approach. “We just launched a new service and one week later, adjusted the time frame to make this appointment longer. It’s hard to ask for more time, but that ensures you’re meeting everyone’s expectations, because if a member is there longer than they anticipated, and there’s a line, that’s not a good meeting,” she says. Pay attention to feedback from members and staff as well as your platform data in the first few weeks post-launch. Set aside time to review your meeting methods, frequency of email reminders, and appointment duration. Your initial implementation ideas will likely require tweaking to make them even better. You’re on a roll with self-serve appointment scheduling. The goal of your rollout should be to create a seamless transition from old
How to Evaluate Appointment Scheduling Software in 6 Steps
In a nutshell 🥥 Software evaluations at banks and credit unions often drag on longer than expected. And it’s not because of red tape. It’s because of poor planning. By understanding the “planning fallacy” and setting the right foundation upfront (i.e. clarifying goals, slimming down the decision team, anticipating key questions, and engaging vendors early), banks can dramatically speed up their evaluation processes. With a clear plan and a dedicated project manager steering the effort, your FI can make faster, smarter software decisions that drive better customer experiences and stronger results. Why Your Software Evaluation Keeps Stalling (and How to Speed it Up) Want to run a faster software evaluation at your bank or credit union? Well first, you have to know why things tend to take longer than expected. Yes, there are large buying committees to deal with. And yes, there’s compliance and security protocols. But the top reason (that’s within your control) is the so-called “planning fallacy,” which most of us fall prey to. According to the fallacy, people expect things to take less time than they actually do because they don’t yet know all the steps involved. They also often don’t know what information they’ll need to make good decisions. So, they lose a lot of time on information gathering and discussions. So, in the spirit of streamlining the (sometimes painful) software evaluation process, here are six things to know before you begin that will help you and your team make the smartest choice faster. Read our full Appointment Software Buyer Guide here 1. Figure Out Precisely What the Software Will Contribute to an Existing Initiative Evaluations sometimes stall out near the finish line because the team hasn’t completed their business case. Once budget holders begin asking questions, everyone has to scramble to do more research. Begin that research early. You’ll need to know what you hope the software will do for each department. (See Section 5 in our Buying Guide for a handy list of ideas.) Chances are, you can tie your solution to an existing initiative or goal. Also, try diagramming on a whiteboard how that new customer or member or staff journey will go. If you can’t quite make sense of it, or you find yourself leaving gaps or big red question marks, keep asking questions until it’s clear. For example: Booking an Appointment With a Loan Specialist In-Branch Today Touchpoint Activity Feelings Opportunity Step 1. Visits website. Searches website and only finds a phone number. Doesn’t use directory. Anticipation; Impatience Add direct booking links to website, with appointment type laid out. Step 2. Calls contact center. Waits on hold. Then told to visit a branch as agents can’t access calendars. Annoyance; Fatigue Give agents access to calendar booking systems so anyone can book. Step 3. Revisits branch. Waits in line. Learns the loan specialist isn’t in. Anger; Frustration; Defeat Have client pre-book appointment and save a trip. Booking an Appointment With a Loan Specialist In-Branch Using Appointment Software Touchpoint Activity Feelings Opportunity Step 1. Visits website. Visits ‘find a branch’ page, selects ‘appointment’ option, and books time. Anticipation; Surprise; Delight Encourage them to do this within mobile app and other web pages. Step 2. Gets email reminder. Receives reminder day before appointment with date, time, and location. Impatience; Satisfaction Attempt to convert in-person appointment to phone or video option, if preferred. Step 3. Visits branch. Checks in, skips the line, and sees specialist. Signs loan agreement that day. Helped; Cared-for, Wowed Help agents track follow-up tasks or cross-sell opportunities in CRM. 2. Shrink the Selection Committee to a Lean Team of Five Decisions by committees tend to be slow. And even when institutions make a decision with a really big group, and weigh everyone’s opinions carefully, 34% still end up regretting their purchase. Which is to say, adding more people doesn’t necessarily guarantee a better decision—just a slower one. For speed, consider using a role assignment model like RACI, short for “responsible, accountable, contributor, informed.” Use that to organize the few people who are involved, and designate only five spaces on the “responsible” team who will be the active deciders. Those five people should represent: Retail Commercial Operations / CX / support Lending IT/Security 3. Run Through a List of Hypotheticals Sometimes people get hung up on last-minute concerns that could have been discussed earlier. Like, how much training and implementation support they’ll need. Or whether or not they should (or can) sync with the Microsoft Active Directory. Stimulate everyone’s thinking earlier with questions that drive the research forward faster. For example, you could ask your committee some of the following: Let’s say we suddenly purchased the software and are about to install it. What worries you most? Let’s say we buy it and it’s missing one important thing. What is that thing for you? If this is a smashing success, one year from now what will have happened? Let’s say it had a huge impact on client satisfaction. How will clients describe the difference? What are your absolute must-have items? What would be a non-starter for you? How much time can you commit to this evaluation, realistically? You can also survey customers or members, or add a question to your annual survey: “If you could book appointments directly on our team’s calendars from any connected device, would you?” This will help suss out customer concerns to be addressed. (And prevent your committee from making assumptions.) 4. Gather Reviews, Feedback, and Questions early Most people buying software spend 27% of their time evaluating on their own, much of it near the end, as they try to verify facts. But the earlier you conduct this detective work, the easier you make things, because you’ll be able to rule some vendors out. For example, does a vendor not currently work with any financial institutions? You can rule it out. Does a vendor not have SOC 2 compliance, and your IT team needs that? You can rule them out. And because good information is
32 Banking Analytics FIs Must Track to Improve on CX
In a nutshell 🥥 Most banks and credit unions are sitting on a goldmine of customer, product, and staffing data—especially around appointments—but aren’t using it to drive growth. This guide outlines 32 essential customer experience (CX) metrics across three key areas: client, product, and staff. You’ll learn what to track, where to find the data, and how to use it to improve customer satisfaction, optimize operations, and grow your institution. Why Banking Analytics are Key to Better Experiences and Growth Let’s talk about data that actually matters. Every day, FIs collect a wealth of data, whether that’s customer appointments, product interactions, staffing utilization, or engagement metrics. Hidden within these numbers are powerful insights into what’s working, what’s not, and where your next growth opportunities lie. But: Many banks and credit unions don’t know where their appointments come from—or why. They can’t easily see which products are trending up or down, how many walk-ins turn into appointments, or which staff members are booking the most engagements. Without this knowledge, institutions miss out on ways to improve their customer or member experience, strengthen engagement, and accelerate growth for their top products and services. That’s where this article comes in. In it, we break down the 32 most important banking analytics metrics every bank and credit union should track—spanning the full appointment journey, from booking to follow-up. You’ll also learn where to source this data and how to turn insights into measurable improvements across your client, product, and staff operations. The Top CX Metrics for Banks and Credit Unions to Track One of the first challenges of banking analytics is choice paralysis: having so many metrics that you could track that you track none at all. Instead of presenting you with every possible option, we’ve filtered out the vanity metrics and broken down 32 CX metrics that will provide invaluable insight into your bank or credit union. To make it easier to explore these metrics, we’ve split them into three categories: client, product, and staff metrics. Client Metrics: Get to Know Your Customers and Members The first data category focuses on how your customers or members interact with your bank or credit union. This is to track things like product usage, engagement, satisfaction, and activity. These help you understand client preferences and behaviors—and figure out how to encourage the habits or actions you’d prefer. Total interactions online: Track how many interactions your customers or members have with your bank or credit union. Use this metric for a high-level analysis of seasonal trends and growth trajectories. Total interactions with staff: Count how many interactions customers or members have with your employees—whether that’s via phone, video chat, email, or in-person. Measuring staff interactions allows you to track customer preferences and (if necessary) rebalance your staff scheduling. Missed appointments: the total number of appointments that get missed. This can be per branch or per advisor, on a monthly timeline. Show-up rate: This is simply the percentage of people who show up for booked appointments. Higher is always better. No-show rate: Conversely, your no-show rate measures how many people don’t show up for appointments. A consistently high no-show rate suggests something is wrong with your service or communication. Customer satisfaction (CSAT): Measure the overall satisfaction of your customer or members with a metric like CSAT or NPS. You can slice the data to show individual client satisfaction, average branch satisfaction, and satisfaction within particular demographics. Sentiment or review velocity: It’s a good idea to track any meaningful gains or losses in your customers’ feedback across your review channels. Digital onboarding abandonment rates: This is helpful in understanding when your customers aren’t finishing online forms or applications, signalling points of friction like time to completion, or a lack of seamlessness in the process UX. Most engaged: Find the members or customers who are most engaged with your services. If you’re running referral campaigns or customer research, start with your power users. Summary by client or household: Report all interactions from a single client or household. This gives you a snapshot of their history, which can shortcut a lot of manual fact-finding during calls or account reviews. Client activity overview: See all a client’s interactions with your staff, digital campaigns, and service history. Identify trends in their needs, including relevant products and services that they’re not using. Top acquisition channels: Report on your most effective sales and marketing channels. Invest in your top acquisition channels and cut underperforming alternatives. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): This metric measures the total revenue you expect to make from your average member or customer during their lifetime. It’s useful for gauging the long-term success of sales and marketing efforts. Task Success Rate (TSR): This measures how efficiently your customers and members are completing key actions (i.e. appointments, loan applications, account openings, and the like). Product Metrics: Learn How People Are Using Your Products Our second data category switches focus to your products and services. Delving into product usage, resourcing requirements, and acquisition channels reveals a lot about your organization, including where you can make improvements. Total products: Track the total number of products your customers or members have with your bank or credit union. Like most high-level metrics, the total products metric provides directional trends (for example, you’re growing or contracting), but you’ll need extra data for context and nuance. Most popular services: Measure the popularity of specific products and services. Often, there’s a Pareto principle at play where a small number of products drive the majority of your revenue. Average products per transaction: Track how many products your members or customers touch during a single transaction. This metric is essential if you’re pursuing a cross-selling strategy. Average products per interaction: A very similar metric, but measuring average products over interactions (individual appointments or meetings) rather than transactions. Again, it’s helpful to understand your cross-selling performance. Average interactions per product/service type: Investigate your customer or member journey by counting how many interactions it takes to close a service, per product type. Note: A
How to Pick the Best Online Scheduling Software for Your Bank or Credit Union
So you’re ready to take your appointment scheduling system online? That’s great—but now it’s time to figure out which solution works best for your financial institution. Not all online scheduling software for banks and credit unions are created equal, so it’s important to be informed about what’s out there. This decision can have a huge impact on your customers and members, and an even bigger impact on your financial institution. The best appointment-scheduling software should save your staff time, integrate seamlessly with existing applications, and improve management’s understanding of what’s happening on a day-to-day basis. This handy guide covers everything you need to know about how to find the best solution for your financial institution. What Is an Online Appointment Management System? First, what is an online appointment management system? Isn’t that just Google Calendar or Outlook? Why do I need a separate tool just to make appointments? An online appointment scheduling system is much more than a digital calendar and does so much more than just make appointments. Online scheduling software for banks and credit unions is an all-in-one solution that can optimize wait times, streamline scheduling, and drive overall growth and retention. The best online appointment booking system for your financial institution is a fully-integrated tool that is easy for everyone to use. Key features of online scheduling software for banks and credit unions include: Customer and Member Ability To Book Appointments OnlineWhether they’re using your institution’s app, website, or another channel, customers and members can see availability, make an appointment, and find out what documentation they need to bring to their meeting in just a few steps. Staff Schedule CoordinationWith an online appointment booking system in place, staff schedules are readily available in one big backend calendar, making it easier to book meetings quickly and efficiently. Management View Of Busy Times, Downtime, and Appointment EfficiencyBank appointment scheduling software allows managers and administrators to see clearly when their branches need more or less staffing, how long appointments take on average, and where things can improve. Data Collection to Improve Decision-MakingThe best online appointment management tools are able to collect helpful data like average wait times, conversion rates, and satisfaction scores to help make better decisions about implementing changes throughout various branches or locations. What Are the Benefits of Online Appointments? Online scheduling software for banks not only benefits customers and members—but also provides many advantages for staff and management. The top benefits of appointment scheduling software include: Improved Customer and Member SatisfactionDid you know that 40% of appointments are booked after office hours? Because so much of our time is spent online, people want the flexibility and convenience of online appointment scheduler tools. When a financial institution provides digital solutions, customers and members are more likely to follow through with appointments and report their satisfaction. Increased Operational EfficiencyWhen customers and members have an easier time making and keeping appointments, staff and advisors can do their jobs more efficiently. Team members are able to save time booking appointments, and managers can plan ahead for busy days, and adjust staffing accordingly. Better Data CollectionOnline appointment scheduling allows management to track events that may have seemed untrackable before. With the best appointment scheduling program, your financial institution can see average appointment lengths, conversion rates, traffic trends, and more—allowing you to make better decisions about staffing, preparation, and even marketing. More Growth and RetentionAs mentioned before, your customers and members want online bank appointment scheduling solutions and are more satisfied when they’re able to manage their schedules digitally. This satisfaction will make clients more likely to return, and will make cross-selling and upselling more natural for your advisors. The easier it is for your teams to do business, the better outcomes your financial institution will see. What Is the Best Online Appointment Scheduling Tool? The best appointment scheduling software for your bank or credit union will depend on your needs and resources. First, you must determine which path is right for you: building out a tool from scratch in-house or buying a pre-made solution. Both avenues can work, but there are some key differences to keep in mind. Building an In-House Tool Building online scheduling software for banks and credit unions might seem like the most straightforward solution, but this path can come with a lot of complications and hiccups along the way. Here are just a few factors to mull over when considering building an in-house application. CostBuilding a complex custom solution in-house may seem like a great way to save money, but with the resources needed, it may not turn out that way. You can usually estimate the cost of an in-house solution by multiplying the cost of an off-the-shelf tool by 10. This means a $10,000 pre-made software will typically cost $100,000 to build. Dedicated ResourcesIn order to build a custom tool, your financial institution will either need to take developers away from key projects or hire a new team of developers dedicated to this project. The software will be complex, and require a long-standing team—it’s not just a one-and-done scenario. MaintenanceAsk yourself: do you have the resources to fully implement a complex tool across multiple channels, fix bugs, and send out regular code patches? An enterprise-level appointment scheduling tool will require daily maintenance, so keep that in mind when considering dedicating in-house resources to a build. Inexperience building a tool that already existsEven with a great team of software developers, there will be a learning curve when it comes to creating online scheduling software for banks and credit unions. An in-house team won’t have the advantage of a SaaS company that has already dedicated all of its resources to building a tool specifically for financial institutions. Dependent on in-house teamImagine hiring a team to build out a custom tool, and then one or more of those team members leaves your institution for a different job. First, you’ll have to hire replacement developers (which is a hassle in and of itself), and those new employees may find the existing code to be very stylized, hard to replicate, or filled with problems—while
4 Ways To Measure the ROI of Appointment Software
In a nutshell 🥥 Appointment and queuing software helps banks and credit unions boost revenue by increasing high-value bookings, improving close rates, and enhancing appointment efficiency. It reduces staff workload and appointment times, while also recapturing missed opportunities through fewer no-shows and better scheduling flexibility. Customers enjoy a smoother, more convenient experience, leading to higher satisfaction and retention. Overall, the software delivers fast, measurable ROI through increased revenue, time savings, and improved customer loyalty. It’s no mystery that everyone wants to get their money’s worth—whether they’re headed on an all-inclusive resort vacation or considering new banking software. In the case of digital appointments and queuing solutions, you’re sure to run into questions about how to measure its success. If it feels overwhelming to understand ROI, tracking, and reporting, we’re here to help. Building a strong business case for appointment and queuing software is essential to gain stakeholder buy-in and clearly demonstrate ROI. In this article, we’ll define the four areas you’ll see measurable appointment and queuing software ROI at your bank or credit union—like increased revenue, recovered revenue, staff efficiency, and client satisfaction. We’ll also explain the metrics you should be tracking and share some of the savings and gains financial institutions who use appointment software see. Does ROI Matter in Banking? Appointment scheduling software is a digital solution that streamlines the process of booking, managing, and tracking appointments between customers and businesses. For financial institutions like banks and credit unions, this technology transforms the way appointments are scheduled—moving away from time-consuming phone calls and manual processes to a seamless, online experience. By enabling customers to schedule appointments at their convenience, appointment scheduling software not only improves customer satisfaction but also enhances the overall customer experience. The importance of ROI (Return on Investment) in appointment scheduling software cannot be overstated. For financial institutions, every investment must deliver measurable value—whether through increased revenue, improved operational efficiency, or higher customer satisfaction. Top Tip DYK? With the right scheduling software, banks and credit unions can optimize staff resources, reduce administrative burdens, and provide a more personalized service to their customers. This leads to happier customers, more appointments, and ultimately, a stronger bottom line. In today’s competitive landscape, leveraging appointment scheduling software is essential for financial institutions looking to increase revenue, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. The ROI of Bank Appointment Scheduling Software: 4 Metrics to Watch 1. New Revenue From More High-Quality Appointments Without self-serve appointment and queuing software, most financial institutions are missing out on opportunities to get in front of new and existing customers or members who are looking for high-value services (like financial planning advice or loans). Contacting your call center or speaking to staff in-branch are the only ways to book these high-value appointments—unless you offer 24/7 self-serve appointment booking across channels. Customer appointments are critical for driving revenue and enhancing service efficiency. Appointment booking and queue management software makes it easier for clients to connect with staff, which will increase the number of high-quality bookings you’ll get. With appointments and queuing software, the ROI on those crucial customer interactions can be measured in increased appointments, higher average revenue per appointment, and higher close rates. Scheduling tools are essential for optimizing the appointment-setting process and maximizing these benefits. How Should You Measure Your ROI When it Comes to Appointments? Increased Appointments When members can book and attend meetings in just a few clicks, they will. The software streamlines the appointment request process, making it easier for customers to request and schedule meetings efficiently. Take a baseline of how many appointments you were having before having a scheduling solution and compare it to how many you have now. It may be tough to measure, so make sure to survey your staff before launching, or go back through a few of your staff’s calendars to get an idea of their baseline. Coconut Software, a leading online appointment scheduling tool for banks and credit unions, typically sees an average increase of 13% in booked appointments among its customers. More appointments lead to more opportunities to connect with clients, solve their financial woes, and sell your products and services. Higher Average Revenue Per Appointment Look at how much revenue appointments are generated before, on average, and after. If you don’t have pre-implementation data, take the average loan or mortgage value and divide that by total number of appointments per service to determine your benchmark for your average revenue per appointment. Appointment tools allow staff to know when, why, and how meetings are happening—which helps them better prepare to meet an individual member’s needs, prepare paperwork beforehand, and identify upsell opportunities. Similarly, the software offers tools like co-browsing during virtual appointments so you can collect signatures and close services faster. Many banks and credit unions see 150% more revenue after implementing appointment and queuing software. Higher Close Rates If members are more likely to reach the right person to meet their needs, show up with the right documentation, and complete their appointment on time, your financial institution is probably completing more high-quality meetings than ever before. What percentage of your members interested in a service or product actually end up purchasing it? Have your advisors and frontline staff track how often a customer engagement ends in a purchase—especially note which meeting methods are generating more revenue than others. You could see up to a 300% increase in your close rate based solely on improving the quality and speed of your appointment process. The Bottom Line: Increased Revenue From More (and Better) Appointments Appointments will help your institution drive more revenue than before with better, faster, 1:1 consultations with your customers and members. The industry average for credit unions and community banks is 200 appointments per month and a 70% close rate for most banks and credit unions before appointment software. If you aren’t already, start measuring the metrics above. When you’re ready to implement appointment and queuing software, you’ll have your own benchmarks to understand how the solution is affecting revenue. For example, Regions Bank has seen measurable benefits from
Bank Scheduling 101: The Ins and Outs of Better Financial Appointments
In a nutshell 🥥 Bank scheduling is crucial for enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency in financial institutions. Effective appointment scheduling systems streamline processes, reduce wait times, and improve resource allocation. By implementing digital tools, banks can offer flexible booking options, improve customer interactions, and drive growth in deposits and loans. Ultimately, a robust scheduling system enhances the overall banking experience for both staff and clients. Pop quiz: Do you have an accurate pulse on your advisory staff’s activity right now? Are they over or under capacity? Do you know how full their appointment schedules are? Or how many appointments fall through the cracks? How long does it take your clients to find the person they’re looking for? If you don’t have answers to these questions, you’re not alone. Despite the importance of facetime with customers and members, a surprising amount of financial institutions (FIs) don’t have readily available answers to the bank scheduling questions above. We’re here to change that, and help you learn the value of bank appointment scheduling. Without a solid scheduling system in place, staff suffers by not being aware of capacity, managers are unable to evaluate and improve efficiency, and customers and members lose out on important information like availability and wait times. Effective bank scheduling allows you to find out crucial information like how popular certain appointments are, how many advisors you need on-location, and how busy branches are during various times of the year. In this primer, we walk through the ins and outs of assessing and improving your bank scheduling process to improve efficiency, create better customer experiences, and—ultimately—implement strategic decision-making at your financial institution. What Is the Purpose of Appointment Scheduling? Appointment scheduling is an essential tool for organizing touchpoints between customers, members, and staff at financial institutions. An appointment is often a requirement to complete different services and sell certain complex financial products. Whether over the phone, via video, or in person, appointments greatly impact customer or member satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. Plus, these crucial client interactions provide your advisors with the best opportunities to upsell and cross-sell on key products and services—like mortgages, loans, and financial management. Having an appointment scheduling process is meant to drive organization, efficiency, and an improved meeting experience for customers, members, staff, and management. Without a formal appointment scheduling process or system, keeping track of client interactions is nearly impossible, resulting in missed appointments and customer dissatisfaction. It also doesn’t allow staff (both frontline and advisory) or management to understand availability, upcoming commitments, or busy times at their branches. For many FIs, the protocol for scheduling an appointment without a bank scheduling system goes something like this: Customer or member contacts the institution and waits for a response. Advisors manually check their calendars for availability. The appointment is set, with few (if any) reminders scheduled. Everyone crosses their fingers that the appointment isn’t a no-show or cancellation. With digital appointment scheduling tools, institutions can track and streamline this process for both staff members (who need more functionality) and clients (who want more accessible options). For example: Customers and Members could visit your website, see open time slots based on specific search criteria, book a meeting for various lengths of time, and chat with specialists to go over questions or details. Staff and Advisors can see all booked meetings and open times, see the reason for appointments, receive automated messages when appointments are added to their schedules, keep appointment notes and follow-up tasks organized, and more. Branch, Operations, Retail, and/or Experience Managers and Leaders get a bird’s eye view of the number of appointments happening, where they happen (in-person or online), top reasons for appointments, satisfaction scores from customers, outcomes from those appointments (closed products or resolutions), staff availability and capacity, and more. With a proper bank scheduling system, everyone gets the customization and convenience they’re craving. (That’s what we call a win-win situation.) Did You Know? Banks and credit unions that leverage appointment scheduling and queue management software can save 10 minutes or more per appointment, increase new account growth by 2.5%, and see 325% ROI. Read the study here. What Are the Top Appointment Scheduling Methods? There are several different ways customers and members choose to make appointments with their financial institutions. Whether you’ve implemented bank appointment scheduling software already, or still use a combination of channels, the way someone chooses to book an appointment is still up to the individual customer or member or staff member they interact with. Pre-book by Phone or Chat It’s common for staff or advisors on-site to answer a call during business hours and help coordinate an appointment on behalf of a customer or member for a future date. They may do this by relaying this information to staff manually with a paper reminder, or by using an internal calendar tool. They may be able to do this instantly, but often have to wait to hear back from advisors about availability. Bank scheduling software makes this interaction as easy as opening a back-end calendar view, and selecting the availability that makes the most sense for the client. Walk-in and Speak to Teller Walk-in clients are looking for facetime with knowledgeable and friendly staff members who can answer their questions right away. These customers and members are highly likely to want an appointment right then and there—so having an instant view of advisor availability is very beneficial for walk-ins. With a bank scheduling system, walk-ins who need to wait a few minutes can also see wait times live on a TV screen (or tablet) in the lobby, and receive a text message or email as soon as their advisor is ready. Contact Advisors Directly If a customer or member has an existing relationship with an advisor, or has been referred to someone specific, they may also choose to book an appointment by emailing back and forth with an advisor directly. This can be an effective way to book appointments occasionally, but it can also lead to miscommunication with other staff members if the appointment isn’t then entered into a shared
How to Implement an Appointment Scheduler at Your Financial Institution
Today’s most competitive banks and credit unions are using an appointment scheduler to save time, drive convenience, and increase members and bookings. And though the benefits of appointment scheduling software are clear, some financial institutions are still wary about making the switch. If you’re curious about switching to a self-service appointment scheduling app, this is the post for you. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain how you can seamlessly move to an appointment scheduling system in just a few weeks or months, rather than having it take several years. We’ll also share top FAQs related to appointment software implementation, so you can effortlessly pull off a successful rollout—and start putting members and customers at the helm of their experience. Step 1. Pick the Right Solution Financial institutions all have unique needs—especially when it comes to security and data tracking. So, What Is the Best App for Scheduling Appointments? It’s the one that’s built specifically with financial institutions in mind, allowing customers and members to proactively book appointments with your institution—and have more choice in the queuing process. The best appointment scheduler can be accessed from any device that is connected to the internet, from a cell phone or desktop computer to a tablet in your lobby. Ultimately, it’s a smarter way to manage in-branch and virtual queues. The best app for scheduling appointments typically has four core components, each with features that make it easy for customers, members, and staff to use. This type of holistic, integrated solution is key to creating a more seamless, convenient customer experience that saves time and increases bookings. If you’re already using individual calendars or out-of-date spreadsheets to track appointments, you don’t want another one-off app you have to check. You want something that integrates with your existing systems and needs. Want to learn more about how to choose the best appointment scheduler online? Check out Buyer’s Guide: Appointment and Queue Software for Financial Institutions. You May Be Wondering: What Scheduling App Is Free? Is There a Free Scheduling Tool? We advise you to stay away from free tools, which lack the data security and identity authentication tools needed to protect your financial institution and your customers and members. Free scheduling tools typically aren’t robust or flexible enough to meet your customers’ or team’s needs. They also lack the ability to white label, which allows you to build your branding and foster greater trust with customers and members. If You Use Google Calendars Internally, You May Want to Know: Is There a Google Appointment Scheduler? Google doesn’t have its own appointment scheduler, but the best appointment scheduling software works seamlessly with Google to offer two key features: Step 2. Kick Off Your Project with the Right Goals and Team Members As you kick off your appointment scheduler rollout, it’s critical to get buy-in from all key stakeholders, including administrative teams, advisors, IT teams, and more. Take time to share the benefits of appointment systems to ensure everyone is invested and on the same page. Once your team is excited about the rollout, designate one person to play the role of project manager. This person should host a meeting to discuss and assign tasks: Step 3. Design, Configure, and Test Your Scheduler The right appointment scheduling vendor won’t leave you to configure your system on your own—they’ll offer comprehensive technical support for clear and fast onboarding. Still, it’s important to set yourself up for success by taking care of design, configuration, and testing. The design process should be straightforward: you’ll need to update the system with your institution’s: Next, your technical team should take the following steps to ensure the right data makes it to the new system: Finally, it’s time to test, test, and test again. These tests should be realistic, involving the people who will actually be using the software. Without this step, you may come across bugs that slow down your launch. Step 4. Train Your Team for Ongoing Success Now it’s time to train your team on how to use the software. Just remember: it’s one thing for administrators to remember what they learned in a demo, and it’s another for them to take initiative to troubleshoot when they’re under pressure on a busy day. Keep the momentum going by holding regular training sessions, until the key principles sync in. Here are a few ideas for effective training: Step 5. Launching and Marketing You’ve come a long way, and now it’s time to communicate these exciting changes to your employees and customers. Just keep in mind: most people need to hear something seven times, in seven different ways, before the message really sinks in. Then they’ll need to use the smart appointment scheduling tool several times to form a habit—so plan to promote your new system repeatedly in the coming months. Here are a few ways to promote your appointment scheduler and drive high-value bank appointments: Promote your self-serve appointments across multiple channels, online and offline. This two-tiered marketing strategy will increase your appointment volume, and increase the positive impact of appointments on your customer experience—and bottom line. Step 6. Monitor Your Goals, Then Adjust Your Sails Your appointment scheduling online software is live. Your customers, members, and staff are using it. So how is it performing? You won’t have accurate answers unless you use SMART metrics (simple, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). Make sure you’re using key KPIs to measure customer experience, operations, marketing strategy, and more. Potential metrics to track include: If your methods are working, you’ll be booking more meetings, saving time, and improving customer and employee satisfaction. Remember to review your progress regularly at 30-day intervals to help you stay on track. Switching to Appointment Scheduler Software IS Worth It As you see wins and continue to track usage, keep making long-term improvements to get the full value from your solution. Rotate your best advisors to new locations so they can train staff. Review your appointment outcomes and see how you can continue to increase customer
Coconut Software Launches Integration With Posh’s Conversational AI Technology
Coconut Software partners with the conversational AI platform to streamline the frontline banking experience.
The Top Benefits of Appointment Scheduling Software
In today’s digital world, people can book appointments for just about anything from any device: a dentist appointment, spa session, dinner reservation, or movie showing, to name just a few. Yet most people can’t do the same at their bank or credit union. Instead, they call, email, or walk in. They wait in lines, sit on hold, and hope for an email reply. And they often don’t have an easy way to communicate when they need to cancel or reschedule, so they simply skip the appointment altogether. (Unsurprisingly, no-show rates are at an all-time high.) This state of affairs isn’t just stressful for the individual—it puts a burden on tellers who have to coordinate back and forth, and on operations managers who don’t always have visibility into their upcoming appointments. Plus, branch or retail operations managers base staffing levels on guesses instead of actual capacity. This is where appointment scheduling software comes in. This effortless, rewarding, and fast solution gives customers and members the streamlined experience they expect when they engage with your location. In this blog, we cover the top benefits of appointment scheduling software—including how it can help transform the customer experience, increase customer loyalty, improve operational efficiency, and more. Why Is Appointment Scheduling Software So Important? Appointment scheduling software isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for financial institutions and credit unions looking to gain and retain clientele for two main reasons: increasingly digitally-savvy competitors and shifting consumer demands. Customers and members want to engage on their own terms. They want more digital options, more personal choice, and greater ease of use—and they’ll ditch the institutions that don’t offer the flexibility they crave. Self-serve appointment scheduling solutions are one huge (and often overlooked) area that can deliver just that. But transparent appointment systems don’t just benefit the individual—they’re an incredible tool for tellers and advisors, too. As the ongoing economic crisis and labor shortage leaves staff members tired and overburdened, appointment scheduling software saves them time and allows them to serve more customers efficiently and effectively. Ultimately, appointment scheduling software is important for banks and credit unions that want to retain existing clients, attract new digitally-savvy individuals, increase staff efficiency, and grow. It can be an impactful part of the customer or member experience and an important productivity tool for staff members. What Are the Advantages of an Appointment System? 1. Better Customer/Member Experience (and Retention) Without appointment software, clients often endure long lines, limited flexibility, and unknown wait times. When they need to reschedule or change appointment locations, they either waste time contacting the local branch or call center or skip the appointment altogether. This poor experience can lead to lapsed memberships, decreased appointments, and missed revenue or growth opportunities. Yet appointment systems can eliminate all of these worries for customers, members, and staff by improving efficiency, increasing flexibility, and boosting customer satisfaction and lifetime value. 2. Improved Operational Efficiency Rather than wasting time coordinating meetings, waiting on no-show customers, or bugging members with unnecessary follow-up, your staff can focus more on matching people with the right products and services to meet their needs. Then, by increasing efficiency and optimizing workflows, bank appointment scheduling software cuts down on administrative burdens and costs for both tellers and advisory staff. They also have been shown to cut down on wait times and appointment length. It’s a win-win in terms of time and cost savings. 3. Increased Revenue Long lines, incorrect transfers, and extended call center hold times can all result in lost revenue for financial institutions. In fact, up to 68% of people abandoned the digital onboarding process for a banking product in 2022, all due to poor user experience. Luckily, an efficient appointment system can help recapture revenue opportunities by fostering stronger connections with clients. Here are just a few ways credit unions and banks can measure ROI from their appointment software: 4. Better Decision-Making With New Data Insights If you’ve ever wished you had a complete picture of the customer journey, we have good news: a bank-by-appointment platform gives banks and credit unions greater visibility and control with better data tracking and reporting. Banking analytics also makes it easier than ever to understand exactly how staff performance impacts revenue and products sold. So say goodbye to the old guessing game—instead, you can let key data insights give you the power to take action and improve your institution for the better. For instance, you can get an understanding of which products, branches, or services are the most popular or busy so you can adjust your staffing or offerings accordingly. The Top 8 Benefits of Appointment Systems for Customers and Members It’s hard to summarize all of the benefits of appointment system software in one list, but we’re up for the challenge. Here are a few of the ways a bank appointment scheduling platform will change your members’ and customers’ lives for the better. 1. Convenient Self-Service Today’s consumers want fast, easy service on their terms. Rather than sitting on hold or standing in line, they want proactive solutions they can access anywhere, anytime. Appointment scheduling software gives them the self-service option they crave, allowing them to book, change, or cancel appointments quickly from any device. No phone tag, no email chains, and no support queue required. 2. Instant Routing With appointment scheduling, customers are instantly routed to the staff member who can best serve their needs. They’ll simply scroll through a convenient list of options, then pick their desired appointment time, location, service, and/or channel. They can also search for special needs or accommodations (like language preference, wheelchair access, etc.) and see what’s available. Instant routing gives customers the frictionless experience they demand. 3. Easy Rescheduling Life happens. And when someone feels under the weather or has a family emergency, the last thing they want to do is wait on hold with their financial institution to reschedule an appointment. Fortunately, bank appointment scheduling software eliminates the hassle, allowing them to reschedule or cancel an appointment with just
6 Irresistible Banking Experiences Your Customers and Members Will Love
Your clients and members care about the little things. They want to save time waiting in line. Receive relevant financial resources. Access services wherever and whenever they choose. Is your institution prioritizing making these customer or member experiences (CX) easy enough? If you need ideas for how to get there in 2023, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll define the six banking experiences your customers and members wish you’d adopt, with real-life examples you can implement in the short or long term. From express lanes and in-branch redesigns to financial literacy and queuing management, we take the guesswork out of cultivating client delight. P.S. If that’s not enough read our customer and member experience trend report for ten more examples of exceptional banking experiences. ⭐ Implement voice recognition, fingerprinting, or eye-scanning so clients don’t have to remember their password or oft-forgotten security questions. (What was the name of my first-grade teacher again?) Not only does biometric security decrease the risk of fraud, but it also saves time authenticating the identities of your customers every time they visit a branch or log in into their mobile banking app. Before using a biometric identification solution in its call center, Connexus CU’s agents were spending the first 90 seconds of each call authenticating the caller’s identity. With biometrics, they reduced that to 12.5 seconds among members that opted in. Plus, customers feel like they’re getting their needs met faster by skipping admin fluff. That reduction in time and smoother overall experience really adds up. For straightforward transactions like ordering checks or replacing credit cards, add a dedicated in-branch window, phone line, or video call kiosk for quick appointments (similar to an express checkout at a grocery store). The team at Yolo FCU experimented with a dedicated quick appointment option for transactional services that was so popular, they made it permanent. Members with simple requests booked an appointment ahead of time or via a kiosk in the branch. It directed them to a dedicated teller for withdrawals, deposits, wires, savings bonds, account and card maintenance, and more. The express lane thrilled clients, many who said, “I’ll never wait in line again!” Fast lanes help staff manage requests quickly and cut down on waiting time for everyone else. Banks and credit unions that typically do CX well, according to Forrester’s research, are the ones that focus on making their branches feel welcoming. “A great experience is not just one thing,” says Jared Jones, Director of Sales at DBSI, a firm that designs branch experiences. “It’s not just having an open concept. It’s not just investing in cash automation. It’s not just digital signage. It’s thinking about how a combination of those things can convey the feeling of being welcoming and guide customers where they need to go.” A redesign can also include physical changes like: A redesign can be as simple as creating an environment that addresses clients’ needs as soon as they enter the space. Clients can sign into tablet kiosks near the entrance, find out the wait time for the central queue, and receive alternative options like booking a future appointment. Tablets can also direct them to use your app, an express lane, or initiate an instant video call with an available associate. Customers and members can easily book an appointment for most services in their lives—from doctor visits to haircuts. Why should their banking be any different? Similarly, your clients expect the same level of high-quality customer service, whether they’re talking to someone on the phone, emailing an advisor, or lining up in-branch. Exceed their expectations by implementing bank appointment scheduling software. With self-serve appointments, members can reach an advisor using the method of their choosing—a video call, phone call, or in-person meeting. They can see open slots on the right advisor’s calendar and book instantly, no back and forth required. Before the team over at Rogue CU launched a new experience around one universal queue, in-branch and over the phone, members walked out of its branches every day because of the wait. After the switch, the wait times dropped, staff received rave reviews, and it saved many people from visiting in person—30% of people thereafter choose to take their appointment over the phone. The easier you can make booking appointments and manage them in your back-office systems, the better the customer experience. Financial education is more important than ever. A recent survey found that 66% of consumers want proactive, personal advice from their financial institutions to address their financial stresses. The Money$ense team at Opportunities Credit Union saw the need in their community and launched a range of group workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions. Their financial coaches help community members demystify their finances—from budgeting tips and credit repair to supporting those looking to buy their first home For your own financial education programming, try a personalized approach with trained financial educators who can identify clients’ needs, risks, and goals to create an action plan for them to follow. Or share financial resources like asynchronous online training, articles, and podcasts with your members—a lighter lift for advisors and staff. Not only do these resources help clients and community members achieve their financial goals, but it also shows them you’re invested in their financial experience. Make your banking experiences more delightful by making them more accessible. Launch peer-to-peer payments—1 in 3 Americans use apps like Square, Venmo, and Zelle to pay one another. Clients know it’s possible to move money without fees and they’re expecting their banks and credit unions to offer the same effortless experience. Whether you build something yourself like Goldenwest, or partner with a major player like Arvest Bank, this is a path to a better CX and one more reason potential customers should bank with you. Go even further with: Client Experience Is in Your Hands Don’t underestimate the customer experience. Redesigning your branch and implementing biometric authentication may seem like big changes, but they add up to even bigger returns on customer satisfaction. You’re saving
When More Is Better: Balancing Bank Appointment Quantity and Quality
If you had to choose between a buffet or a chef-prepared centere, what would you choose? What if you could have both? A Michelin Star meal and have as much as your heart desires? Well, you can have both with bank appointment scheduling at your institution. It is possible to achieve quantity while maintaining quality. Right now, appointments at your financial institution may not exactly feel like luxury dining. Your frontline is likely overwhelmed after the last few years, and you’re probably understaffed like many banks and credit unions across the country. But, increasing appointment quantity doesn’t have to create undue stress on your staff and advisors. In fact, if you have the right tools, you can have more and better banking appointments. In this article, we’ll break down the reasons why appointments are worth investing in and how you can strike the balance between appointment quality and quantity with five key strategies. (Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?) Why Your Institution Needs More High-Quality Appointments 1. Quality Bank Appointments Drive Customer or Member Growth In 2022, 68% of people who started signing up for an online banking product stopped and never finished, up from 63% in 2020. And after a “bad” onboarding experience, more than half of clients won’t try again. What if one in two people you met never spoke to you again? (Imagine! 😱) Whereas, if you give people an easy button to press to book an appointment they’re more likely to complete a transaction or sign up for a service. Appointments lead to better interactions with customers and members—they’re not just interacting with a chatbot or getting lost on your website, but talking things through with a real person. This opportunity for face-to-face interaction—online or in person—is an advantage you have over neobanks. Less than half of neobank customers surveyed by J.D. Power felt it was convenient to reach a customer service representative. And customers’ positive sentiment increases by 29% when they report reaching direct banks’ representatives. Those connections lead to better relationships and member growth over time. More appointments lead to more opportunities to connect with clients, solve their financial woes, and sell your products and services. Which brings us to benefit 2… 2. Appointment Software Helps Staff Improve Outcomes Imagine shifting what used to be a 60-minute meeting—the typical length for a general banking appointment—to an efficient 15-minute conversation. That’s the power of bank scheduling software (and your ticket to avoiding appointment overwhelm). With self-serve appointment software, clients share the context for their appointment in advance, staff are equipped to prepare and bring tailored solutions, and clients show up prepared with the documentation they need to complete their service in fewer appointments. All this adds up to incredible efficiency gains. Banks and credit unions that use appointment and queuing software tend to see a 90% reduction in staff time needed to book appointments. They also see a 33% reduction in the number of appointments it takes to close a transaction. Your staff’s time is precious, and appointments give them more of it. 3. Convenient Appointments Lead to Satisfied Repeat Clients Don’t underestimate the power of appointments on your customer or member experience and bottom line. According to Forrester, a one (1) point improvement in a CX index score leads to $8.19 per customer of annual incremental revenue for multi-channel banks and $9.82 per customer for direct banks. When those banks and credit unions use bank appointment scheduling software, they see up to a $170 increase per customer in their lifetime value and an average of 21-point increase in their NPS score. How do appointments do all this? Customers can now book appointments instantly, attend them via video, phone, or in person, and receive automatic email and SMS reminders. Not to mention, the ease of rescheduling appointment times, locations, or communication methods. Giving clients more choices, channels, and autonomy goes a long way to adding value to every customer or member interaction. Learn 4 key ways appointment scheduling drives institutional ROI → 💰 How to Balance Banking Appointment Volume and Value The key to avoiding overwhelm when it comes to your appointment program is carefully striking a balance between appointment volume and quality. Implement these five strategies as you roll out your appointments program, or if you already have one and want to see it improve. 1. Launch Your Digital Self-Serve Appointment Solution Set things up so customers and members can book an appointment online to save time. Staff can also use the same system to book appointments on each other’s calendars—no more accidental double bookings or guessing at colleagues’ availability. This singular system for all calendars is a game changer for staff efficiency and helps them better manage appointments. Appointments and queuing software also makes things more efficient by: If you plan to launch an appointments program, ensure you give your staff a few weeks between being trained and actually having to use it. The team at Kemba FCU left a two-week incubation period for associates to practice setting up appointments and understanding the system. “On a scale of 1-10 in importance, I’d say this was a 20. It generated a lot of knowledge among the associates that encouraged members to understand it and find it super easy,” says Candy Shearer, Senior Member Care Manager at Kemba FCU. Also, craft materials for training on how to conduct good appointments. This’ll allow staff to practice with each other and troubleshoot, so clients’ first experience is positive. 2. Offer Clients Clarity With Automatic Reminders Sending pre-appointment reminders is another strategy that increases the quality of your appointments when you’re light on staff. Instruct clients on exactly what they need to prepare for the appointment, and what will happen in their appointment right in their calendar invite, confirmation email, and automatic reminders. Include the time, location, and clear instructions like, “Bring a pay stub” or “This service will require a credit check.” The best practice is to send email and SMS confirmations
10 Ways to Drive More High-Value Bank Appointments
Most financial institutions underestimate the power of pre-booked appointments. Banks and credit unions that use appointment and queuing software attract new members, grow revenue, and delight customers—not to mention automating admin processes across the organization. The ROI is undeniable. But, how do you get your current and potential members to book more appointments? Once you get an efficient process for booking high-quality meetings up and running, it’s time to run campaigns to get more people scheduling appointments. That’s why we’ve compiled 10 tips to increase your number of high-value meetings by promoting them online and off. Want to see 31 ways to generate high-quality appointments? Read our Appointment Growth Guidebook. 🚀 5 Digital Marketing Tips to Increase High-Value Meetings Use pop-ups and banners to inform members about meetings—directing them to appointment links to mobile-friendly landing pages. Drop your appointment link in your in-app help center for those needing support, or at the bottom of product pages to catch members who need help sorting through options. Beyond putting appointment links in places like your website top navigation bar, “find a location” page, or support page, you can also use pop-ups and banners to run appointment campaigns. Run several campaigns at once in different online locations to test offers, like seasonal promotions. Use the feature Reserve with Google which allows anyone searching for your financial institution to easily book time with your staff from their browser’s search results. (They don’t even have to click through to visit your website.) Go even further by using custom links based on your potential client’s search intent. For example, direct those who searched for “auto loans” to your loan department, or “small business account” to your small business department. When running a campaign include custom booking links or QR codes in your social media posts or signage. When anyone clicks that custom link they’ll be able to book directly with an advisor right from their phone. Take it from our friends over at Yolo FCU. They launched a social media refinancing campaign and saw a 12% increase in auto loan appointments and a 120% increase in refinancing appointments. When your branches accept appointments via an appointment and queuing tool, it generates valuable branch data. For example, when Arvest Bank launched its appointments feature, they suddenly had insight into 47,500 meetings and could estimate how busy their branches would be. You can use this to share the data on your website, in your app, and Reserve with Google. It’ll help clients know in advance when to book a meeting, help your staff manage walk-in traffic, and leave each client feeling more confident in your service experience. Don’t let forgetfulness get in the way of high-value meetings. The best practice is to send at least one automatic email or text reminder a day before, and at least one hour before a client’s scheduled appointment. This helps clients trust your appointment program—they’ll know if they set an appointment, it’ll happen and they’ll get their questions answered. 5 Offline Tips to Drive More High-Value Meetings Institutions rely on walk-ins as the engine that powers appointments. “Whenever we open new memberships, if they didn’t find us through the website and schedule an appointment, we let them know that if they need any services in the future, they can schedule an appointment from our website,” says Candy at Kemba FCU. Train staff to always let walk-ins know that next time, they can book an appointment and skip the queue. Add appointment-related questions to your ongoing customer experience surveys or as part of your frontline staff’s in-person protocol for the next quarter. Ask what you might improve about appointments, and share the results with your staff. Questions to ask: Don’t assume all staff know what makes a good appointment. Take a “train the trainer” approach and create materials to train people managers—they’ll in turn coach their team on what makes a good appointment. Also, find your volunteer “champions” who are excited about your appointments program and want to help guide their colleagues. Ideas: Displays like TVs and welcome tablet kiosks are there to guide people to the right options. Use them to your advantage. If the wait is long or growing longer, TVs or iPads can show wait times and a CTA to book an appointment now (to avoid the line entirely) or book an appointment in the future (to avoid it next time). Who doesn’t love a little gift? Offer your credit union’s branded clothing, mugs, gifts, or rewards to clients who book their first appointment or book your team’s 100th meeting. Consider running raffles and draws where only clients who book appointments ahead of time are eligible. Some of your prizes could be: Online + Offline Marketing = More Quality Appointments Promote your self-serve appointments across multiple channels, online and offline—like in your mobile app, in-branch displays, or through raffles. This two-pronged approach to marketing will increase your number of appointments, and increase the likelihood you’ll see the positive impact of appointments on your customer experience (and bottom line). Create a five-star appointment experience with our Growth Guide. Read Now
3 Ways to Fast-Track Your Bank Appointment Scheduling Process
Why is booking appointments with banks such a laborious process? Oftentimes, frontline staff can’t see everyone’s schedules, advisors are playing phone tag with high-value customers, and staff are parsing through endless email threads—all leading to slow response times. The truth is, clients have come to expect the ease of booking appointments offered by their dentist or hair stylist—and it’s time for financial institutions to catch up to these streamlined experiences. We’re here to show you how. In this article, we’ll walk you through three strategies for increasing the speed and efficiency of your appointment process. First, by creating a customer experience that prioritizes self-serve features. Second, by increasing clients’ convenience through thoughtful choices and routing. And finally, by automating your appointment processes. Create a five-star appointment experience with our comprehensive guide ⭐ → 1. Make Your Appointment Scheduling Process Self-Serve, Digital, and Accessible The key to increasing the speed and efficiency of your appointment process is using the right appointment and queuing tool. By setting up self-serve digital bank appointment scheduling software, members can easily book appointments online, which are automatically added to advisors’ calendars. Make this service accessible by adding a booking link anywhere your clients regularly connect with you. Consider adding an appointment booking button to your: Website’s top navigation bar, next to the “login” button “Find a location” page Support page In-app help center Staff email signatures In-branch self-sign-in kiosks Branch front door, via a QR code But don’t stop there. Save even more time by adding custom booking links—a link that’s just to book with one campaign, team, or individual—to save customers those extra clicks. If you’re promoting your wealth management services, you could include a booking link to meet directly with one of your wealth advisors. An easy win. 2. Offer Multiple Appointment Channels and Route Accordingly You may be thinking, “Wouldn’t offering more choices be less efficient for my appointment process?” The truth is, you’re better able to direct your clients to exactly who they need to talk to. Instead of going into a general queue and talking to frontline staff who’ll refer clients to a specific advisor, people get to the right person—a net time savings for staff and clients alike. Start by offering customers multiple ways to meet: in person, by phone, and via video call. These options also give your staff the flexibility of taking meetings whether they’re working in-branch, remotely, or if they’re traveling across branches. In just a few clicks, they can be available for any customer’s or member’s meeting preference. Also, collecting information about clients’ needs allows you to route them accordingly. Add a few extra required questions to your booking process, like: What is your desired location? Desired service? What is the reason for your appointment? What is the level of urgency? Don’t forget to give your clients the option to change their minds. Allowing clients the ability to edit their appointment reduces no-shows and wastes less of everyone’s time when clients need to change the appointment location or desired service. 3. Automate, Automate, Automate Did you know you can automate several parts of your appointment process? If your new customers are automatically added to a welcome email nurture, include an appointment booking link to onboard them and answer questions. Once new appointments are booked, automate any instructions or document requests in the “success” page, confirmation email, calendar invite, reminder texts, and emails. Do they need to bring a pay stub to their appointment or their identification? Automate reminders at least one day and one hour before so your clients never show up unprepared. Similarly, when banks and credit unions automate the collection of appointment reasons and personal information, staff are better prepared to serve clients right away—as opposed to requiring a summary from the client during their first meeting. This shortens the length and number of appointments needed to serve your members (and leaves room for more appointments). On top of automating staff’s tasks like—booking appointments, changing times, dates or locations, documentation reminders, and collecting pre-appointment information—appointment scheduling software also simplifies follow-up reminders. Think signing documentation or booking further appointments. With all that automation, it’s no wonder why appointment booking platforms are fast becoming many banks and credit unions’ CX secret weapon. We’re in the Fast Lane Now Making your appointment booking process self-serve, digital, and accessible is what your clients expect from a modern financial institution. Routing your clients by appointment type to exactly who they want to see leads to a better experience. And automating processes removes the guesswork and helps you scale appointments faster. When you increase the efficiency of your meeting scheduling process, you’ll likely see that appointment quality and duration improves, too. Sometimes, moving fast doesn’t break things—it makes them even better. Get 31 ways to generate more high-quality banking appointments. Read Now