6 Irresistible Banking Experiences Your Customers and Members Will Love

By Jillian Wood - Feb 6, 2023

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. ⭐

1. Use Biometric Authentication to Save Customers’ Time

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.  

2. Incorporate a Fast Lane to Route Simple Requests

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. 

3. Redesign Your Branches to Be More Welcoming Spaces

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:

• Adding ambient lighting
• Shifting floor transitions to better direct traffic
• Installing colored carpeting to guide visitors
• Removing stanchions or bulletproof glass
• Removing the front counter or lowering its height 
• Adding “flex desks” and call booths to route quick requests 

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. 

4. Let Clients Instantly Schedule Banking Appointments

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.

5. Offer Financial Literacy, Education, and Coaching

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. 

6. Deliver Services Wherever Your Customers and Members Are

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: 

• Curbside banking—Post a QR code on your front door or have associates go out to meet people at their car. In some cases, it’s more convenient than a drive-through. 
• Mobile banking trucks—Your team can drive your mobile branch to festivals and events, provide ATM services, and sign up new members onsite.
• Cash pick-up and delivery—Employ couriers for secure deposit pick-ups and withdrawal delivery. Just ensure couriers don’t know what they’re carrying, and there are strict limits on how much cash they can handle.

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 your members time and money—not to mention adding value in the form of services like financial education and easy peer-to-peer payments. How’s that for irresistible?