TEI Study

Resources / Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study A 389% ROI when branch visits become revenue conversations. Forrester Consulting studied banks and credit unions using Coconut Software. The composite organization saw $8.8M in net present value and payback in under six months, driven by more appointments, better-prepared advisors, and a smoother path to high-value conversations. Unpack the full ROI, from first appointment to closed conversation, and see how it maps to your institution’s revenue goals. Access the study Get my custom ROI estimate 389% ROI $8.8M NPV < 6 mo Payback 389% ROI $8.8M NPV < 6 mo Payback The results at a glance. Results for the composite organization over three years 0 % Return on investment $ 0 M Net present value $ 0 .0M Total benefits < 24 mo Payback period Before Coconut Revenue was slipping through the cracks. Prior to using Coconut, the reliance on walk-ins and individual advisor calendars left the FIs interviewed with fragmented insight, unprepared advisors, and a frustrating experience for customers. After Coconut Every high-value conversation, captured. When advisors arrive prepared and customers reach the right expert, value shows up across every product line. Before Coconut No visibility into demand Before Coconut, staffing forecasts ran on guesswork. Appointment data lived in individual advisor calendars. It was ad hoc, inconsistent, and impossible to see at an organization level. After Coconut Demand visibility $ 0 M in staff efficiency improvements Before Coconut Unprepared advisors Complex mortgage and lending conversations ran like teller transactions. Advisors spent the first meeting fact-finding, and customers often forgot key documents, turning one sale into three visits. After Coconut Better preparation $ 0 M in incremental mortgage profit Before Coconut A leaky, high-friction funnel Long lobby waits, mismatched advisors, no-shows, and clunky video tools that required a download. Customers walked out, and worse, took their business to competitors. After Coconut Self-service booking & follow-through $ 0 M in new deposits $ 0 K in new consumer loans The drivers How Coconut delivers these outcomes. Six capabilities sit behind the numbers, from the first booking to the conversation that closes. Capture more demand Self-service booking and direct links reduce friction, abandonment, and lost meetings. Create higher-value conversations By directing routine requests to self-service options and capturing needs and documents upfront, Coconut helps advisors focus on high-value opportunities. Reduce customer drop-off Automated reminders, rescheduling, video options, and shorter waits make it easier for customers to complete their journeys. Align workforce capacity to demand Branch Workforce Management (bWFM) helps banks forecast demand and schedule the right people at the right branches and times. Increase staff productivity Unified workflows reduce calendar coordination, manual follow-up, intake time, and paperwork fixes. Continuously improve performance Coconut connects activity to outcomes, then uses intelligence and recommendations to improve growth, productivity, and customer experience. The full study Get the full story behind the numbers. See how Forrester Consulting built the composite organization, the interviews behind it, and the full three-year model for benefits, costs, and risk. The 389% ROI and $8.8M NPV, line by line Benefits across mortgage, deposits, consumer loans, and staff efficiency What interviewed banks and credit unions saw before and after Coconut Complete the form to access the study. Instant access to the full Forrester TEI study. In their words Here’s what our customers had to say. For things like mortgages, appointments set the right tone right out of the gate and help everyone to be better prepared. Branch operations manager, California credit union Before, 19% of people would bail out during the scheduling process. With Coconut, we reduced that to essentially zero. SVP & head of data, investment firm In our busier branches, members could wait 30 to 40 minutes … With Coconut, we’ve reduced the wait times a ton. The appointments have been a game-changer. VP of member service, western-US credit union Your turn See what impact Coconut can have on your financial institution. Let’s calculate what Coconut could return for your institution. Talk to a Coconut expert to model the impact on your own financial institution: a custom ROI estimate built on your appointment volume and number of branches. Get my custom ROI estimate Key findings: 389% ROI, $8.8M net present value, $11.0M in total benefits over three years, and payback in under six months. Source: The Total Economic Impact™ Of Coconut Software, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Coconut Software, August 2026. Results are for a composite organization based on interviews with Coconut customers.

M&A Playbook

Future Branches x Coconut Software Study

BRANCH FORWARD: How Financial Institutions Are Investing in Technology, Scheduling, and the Future of CX 76% of financial institutions say they’re integrated. The data tells a different story. Inside, you’ll learn how leading FIs are responding to the challenges of the day by investing in technology, smarter scheduling, and hybrid branch experiences that actually work. You’ll also see where the gaps remain—and what it takes to close them. Keep scrolling for a preview of what’s inside ↓  Scheduling, staffing, and customer matching are no longer support functions—they’re revenue drivers. Financial institutions have made real progress toward a more integrated hybrid banking experience, but the data shows the hardest work is still ahead. While 76% of respondents describe their institution as integrated (i.e.allowing customers to move seamlessly between channels), institutions are still working to achieve an environment where the right advisor is matched to the right customer at the right time, consistently. Learn how leaders are thinking about technology investment, vendor strategy, staffing, and AI as they work to build stronger branch experiences and better business outcomes. Download Report KEY INSIGHTS What priorities are reshaping branch banking? Download the report to see the full insights, what they mean for your branch strategy, and where institutions are placing their next bets. 0 % Describe their institution as “integrated” (customers can move seamlessly between channels). 0 % Say Conversion optimization is the #1 business priority for the next 12 months. 0 % Say they frequently struggle to forecast staffing requirements to meet client demand. Main Takeaways skip render: ucaddon_flip_box skip render: ucaddon_flip_box skip render: ucaddon_flip_box Download the report

The Resilient Branch Workforce Playbook

E-BOOK The Resilient Branch Workforce Management Playbook A practical guide to building predictable, resilient branch staffing that protects employee experience, member satisfaction, and revenue in modern banks and credit unions. Keep scrolling for a preview of what’s inside ↓  In today’s branches, workforce decisions are no longer back office—they’re a frontline growth lever. Branch banking has shifted from simple transactions to complex advisory conversations, hybrid interactions, and high member expectations at every touchpoint. At the same time, most branches are still staffed with week‑to‑week schedules, disconnected tools, and little visibility into real demand—fueling burnout, churn, and missed revenue opportunities. The Resilient Branch Workforce Playbook shows banks and credit unions how to turn staffing from a chronic pain point into a strategic advantage. You’ll learn how to design predictability for frontline teams, connect skills and coverage to real demand, quantify the ROI of better workforce management, and track resilience with an executive-ready scorecard. Download E-Book Take a peek inside! skip render: ucaddon_scrolling_screenshot Main Takeaways skip render: ucaddon_flip_box skip render: ucaddon_flip_box skip render: ucaddon_flip_box Download E-Book

Report: What’s next in 2026 retail banking​

TRENDS REPORT 2026: Retail Banking Trends Report In our annual report, learn where, why, and how financial institutions are doubling down in the age of AI, branch transformation, and younger customers. Keep scrolling for a preview of what’s inside ↓  Success was built on rates. Now it’s built on relationships. The next era of banking will belong to institutions that know how to blend technology with judgment, data with empathy, and efficiency with trust. Banks that treat every interaction as an opportunity, every employee as a growth engine, and every customer moment as a relationship—not a transaction—will thrive in 2026. In this year’s Trends Report, we explore the 6 shifts redefining the industry—from how branches are being reinvented, to why workforce resilience is becoming a profit strategy, to how AI and human insight must work together to earn loyalty. Because the future of banking won’t be built by automation alone. It will be built by the banks that know where technology ends—and trust and human connection begins. Download report BANK INSIGHTS What’s top of mind for financial leaders right now? We polled banker leaders to reveal what’s driving their decisions, and likewise, what’s fueling the transformational trends in our report. 0 % Say their branch strategy is focused on evolving them as advice centers. 0 % Say operational efficiency is a significant barrier for their FI. 0 % Download the report to see the complete insights. 0 % Download the report to see the complete insights. Inside the 2026 trends report Sneak peek the first in our series of 6 trends in the report, packed with insights, recommendations, success checklists, and actionable items. Every friction point directly impacts deposit, loan, and account opening growth. In a market where digital adoption is soaring but trust is flatlining, each customer interaction must capture value and reinforce confidence.  That’s why, in 2026, FIs are laser-focused on capturing and making the most out of these fleeting moments. Banking leaders know that now, when a customer abandons a digital application due to complexity, they aren’t just leaving a form; they could be leaving the institution entirely. What to action now → Audit journeys with the highest drop-off and implement tools like Meet on Demand to capture intent at the moment of friction (or inquiry), converting missed opportunities into revenue. The metrics to track your success → = Deposit growth per customer interaction New account openings per branch visit Loan applications initiated after advisory interactions What the experts are saying → “Digital application abandonment rates have reached a staggering 67%. Friction isn’t just an annoyance; it is a profit killer that erodes the primary banking relationship before it even begins.”  — Cornerstone Advisors x Coconut Software Download the report

Banking Bottom Line: The Cost of Doing Nothing About your Branch’s Appointment Solutions

BUILDING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR INTELLIGENT BRANCH SOLUTIONS This is the real cost of doing nothing. Every minute without Intelligent Branch Solutions is costing your bank in serious ways: $ 0 M in net present value (NPV) 0 % in return of investment (ROI) $ 0 K in recaptured productivity Why your bank needs to act now For today’s banks, appointment scheduling, queue management, and branch data and analytics are not nice-to-haves. They’re “musts”.​ Delaying their integration into your ecosystem may hurt your FI in the long run. We’ll explain why and how to make the internal case for finally bringing these customer-first technologies into the fold. Keep reading, or unlock Coconut Software’s Ultimate Buyer’s Guide now. Learn More Jump to the pain point that relates to your case. Negative CX Lost revenue Expensive operations Fragmented tech Build your case Having no solution is hurting your bank—in more ways than one. Banks not leveraging an appointment scheduling and queue management solutions simply aren’t meeting the needs of today’s customers—and are bleeding revenue opportunities. Fragmented digital experiences, long lobby wait times, staff churn and disconnected channels result in growth loss and customer dissatisfaction. Banks that do leverage intelligent branch solutions offer seamless scheduling across all channels, branch lobby management, and data and insights into customer behaviour—and they’re not only winning with younger generations of customers. They’re also seeing significant adoption from their longest-running clients.  If you’re aware of all this—and simply need help making the business case for appointment scheduling software internally, keep reading, and find some handy tips below. ↓ THE COST OF DOING NOTHING FOR CX Negative customer experience Without the right appointment scheduling and queue management solution, long waits and disjointed service push banking customers to competitors. Coconut’s scheduling and multi-channel tools deliver seamless, personalized interactions, and relieve CX teams from the strains of outdated manual processes. 1. Difficulty booking appointments Cumbersome or outdated scheduling systems can frustrate customers, leading to negative experiences and potentially impacting customer loyalty. 2. Inconsistent service industry Without a centralized platform for managing appointments and customer interactions, service delivery can be inconsistent, leading to dissatisfaction and potentially negative reviews. 3. Lack of personalized interactions Inefficient processes can lead to lower conversion rates on leads, meaning fewer customers progress through the sales funnel, resulting in missed opportunities and thus lost revenue. How customer engagement platforms help CX leaders succeed Coconut enables faster bookings, real-time wait-time transparency, and smarter interactions. CX teams can reduce friction, improve satisfaction, and build lasting loyalty, freeing staff to focus on value-driven initiatives. See the document that drives change for CX leaders in banking. Unlock Coconut Software’s Ultimate Buyer’s Guide Learn More THE COST OF DOING NOTHING FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE Lost revenue and productivity Poor engagement limits meaningful conversations and sales. Solutions like Coconut fix this by better connecting customers with the right experts, boosting conversions like Kemba FCU’s 13% increase in funded loans. Opportunities can be missed without it. 1. Missed sales opportunities Without appointment scheduling and customer engagement tools, FIs may miss opportunities to connect with potential clients, leading to lost loan applications, account openings, or other revenue ops. 2. Inefficient staff Staff may spend excessive time on manual scheduling, customer service, or other tasks that could be automated with Coconut’s platform, leading to reduced productivity and potentially higher labor costs. 3. Reduced pull-through rates Inefficient processes can lead to lower conversion rates on leads, meaning fewer customers progress through the sales funnel, resulting in lost revenue. How customer engagement platforms drive revenue growth Customer engagement platforms like Coconut help revenue teams increase booked conversations, connect customers with the right experts faster, and provide actionable data to optimize sales performance. The result is stronger pipelines, improved pull-through rates, and measurable revenue lift across lending, wealth, and deposit growth initiatives THE COST OF DOING NOTHING FOR YOUR OPERATIONS Expensive operational efficiencies Manual scheduling and fragmented systems waste time and inflate costs. Optimal solutions like Coconut automate workflows and optimize staffing decisions, which can help deliver gains like Credit Union of Southern California’s 39% handle time reduction. 1. Increased operational costs Manual processes and outdated systems can lead to higher operational costs due to increased staff time, paper usage, and potential errors. 2. Lack of data insights Without a platform that provides data on customer interaction.trends, financial institutions lack the insights needed to optimize their operations and marketing efforts. 3. Difficulty scaling Without a scalable platform like Coconut, it can be challenging for financial institutions to handle increasing customer demand and business growth. How customer engagement platforms improve operational performance Coconut centralizes scheduling, automates workflows, and delivers actionable insights. Operations leaders can optimize staffing, reduce administrative overhead, and ensure efficient, predictable service delivery across all branches. THE COST OF DOING NOTHING FOR A BANK’S CTO Fragmented systems, rising tech debt, and missed innovation opportunities Without a centralized appointment scheduling and queue management platform, IT teams are forced to maintain patchwork solutions, build custom workflows, and troubleshoot manual processes that divert resources away from higher-value innovation. 1. Increased operational costs and inefficiencies Manual processes and outdated systems can lead to higher operational costs due to increased staff time, paper usage, and potential errors. 2. Integration complexity and data silos Disconnected engagement tools prevent clean data flow across CRM, marketing automation, analytics, and core banking platforms—limiting visibility and slowing decision-making. 3. Increased security and compliance exposure Manual processes and scattered data logs create audit and regulatory challenges, increasing the risk of compliance violations and data governance gaps. How customer engagement platforms help CTOs succeed Purpose-built platforms like Coconut provide scalable, secure, and integration-ready solutions that reduce technical complexity while enabling enterprise-wide engagement strategies. By centralizing scheduling, queue management, and analytics, CTOs can accelerate digital initiatives while lowering operational and maintenance burdens. BUILDING A BUSINESS CASE How to build the business case for appointment scheduling software in 3 steps Discover how to tie serious CX and operational issues to key business objectives, and leverage a template that will help you build

Operational Efficiency in Banking

2025 Retail Banking Trends – Report

Top 2025 Retail Banking Trends Learn where to spend—and where to save—for a profitable future. Access Now Rising operational costs. Shifting interest rates. Increased customer churn. These are just three crucial reasons why financial institutions should scrutinize growth and efficiency tactics in 2025. In this trend report, we share six of the top revenue-driving investment areas for the year ahead, across three key areas: acquiring new customers, driving customer loyalty and expansion, and improving productivity. Read Now Key Takeaways 1 To better connect your service systems, start with improving how you guide customers on their preferred channels, no matter where they start their journey. 2 Use a list of data points that all FIs should have on hand to make better strategic decisions about branch locations and staffing. 3 Leverage AI to make manual processes, staff members, and technology projects more efficient – this offers more immediate value. WEBINAR How Can you Plan for Growth in a Year of Big Changes—and Recurring Challenges? Watch as industry leaders Marty vanZwietering, SVP Technology Innovation at M&T Bank, Paula Slagle, Head of ATM, Salesforce and Branch Development at PNC Bank, Katherine Regnier, CEO at Coconut Software and Isabelle Rochon, SVP Customer Experience at Coconut Software dive into 6 key strategies for growth and efficiency. Watch Webinar Now Get Your Copy

Evolution of Branches Report

Evolution of Branches Report See how branches continue to play a critical role in building relationships Learn How The latest BAI Banking Outlook tells us, bank customers will use digital channels for 65% of their transactions by 2026.  But, the story between the lines is that when they need a high-touch experience, they often turn to a branch. So, when those customers enter a branch or conduct business across channels that might include a branch, the service and product expertise they demand will be scrutinized more than ever. BAI’s Evolution of Banking Branches report dives into the value of branches, how your financial institution should be thinking about the branch as part of their strategy, staffing and more “To ignore the branch is to ignore an important aspect of banking today and, believe it or not, tomorrow.” Key Takeaways 1 There may be fewer physical bank branches these days, but the demands on their services and employees are only greater than ever 2 Unique branch experiences will differentiate the market 3 Transform your people before you transform your branches Read Report Now “What digital channels don’t do very well, and what branches do well, is problem resolution. Banks should make sure that each channel is designed for the functions that they do best to maximize the effectiveness of each channel—rather than try to make every channel do the same thing in the same way.” — Rolland Johanssen, Capital Performance Group WEBINAR Why Is Personal Connection The Best Retention Strategy In Banking? Watch as Alyson Clarke, Principal Analyst at Forrester, Aaron Young, SVP Retail Operations at CU SoCal and Coconut Software’s VP Product Eric Bin dive into one of the most overlooked tools to improve retention—building relationships (and the role the branch plays). Watch Webinar Now

How to Replace Your Appointment Scheduler

How to Replace Your Appointment Scheduling Software in 8 Easy Steps A thorough guide for banks and credit unions considering a switch to Coconut There are two things to know about replacing your appointment scheduling software: You stand to gain more efficiency, more high-value appointments, and happier staff from switching out an appointment scheduler that’s not working for your financial institution. Implementing a new tool may seem daunting at first—but it’s manageable when you partner with the right team who can guide you every step of the way. Coconut has more than a decade of experience working with financial institutions (including helping them migrate from previous systems), and we’ll hold your hand every step of the way. Before you jump into the process, this guide will describe it for you in detail. By the time you finish reading, you’ll understand how to seamlessly and easily make the switch. What’s Inside

Friction Grader

QUIZ: FRICTION GRADER Is Your Customer Journey Smooth Sailing Or Choppy Waters? Take the Quiz For your customers and members, getting financial advice can feel like navigating a vast ocean. The right experience, however, can feel like catching a tailwind—a helpful gust of wind that effortlessly advances them forward. But if your experience is rife with friction, your customers might feel like they’re hitting a headwind—that is, wind blowing in the opposite direction and slowing them down. So how do you make sure you’re helping—and not inadvertently hindering—your customers? The answer lies in a carefully crafted balance of digital and physical channels that meet customers wherever they are. But first, you must understand where your main points of friction are so you can effectively tackle them. Answer these 17 questions to get your friction score—then we’ll give you personalized recommendations to improve your customer experience. Get Started

Appointment Growth Academy

Free Course: Appointment Growth Academy 🎓 Transform your meeting experience and turn appointments into a revenue driver—in just six weeks. Sign-Up Below Most financial institutions have an appointment funnel that is like a leaky bucket: it causes customers, members, and staff to miss connections, forget follow-ups, book less meetings, and lose out on potential revenue opportunities. Want to get more out of client facetime and turn appointments into a major growth driver for your institution? Sign up for our free six-week email course, Appointment Growth Academy. Each week, you’ll get a lesson in appointment process excellence and a small assignment to help you transform the meeting experience at your bank or credit union. Complete the form to your right, to get the first lesson sent to you instantly 🥥 Sign-Up Now 🥥

Using 1:1 Connections To Unlock Growth for Financial Institutions

Benchmark Report Using 1:1 Connections To Unlock Growth for Financial Institutions Access Now Building a long-term digital transformation strategy still matters. But how easy or difficult it is for clients to find, meet, and consult with your financial experts today will significantly impact your institutional growth tomorrow. Yet, it’s one of the least valued, least examined, and least optimized processes at most FIs. Discover how clients interact with their bank or credit union for high-value financial products and services (like mortgages, loans, wealth management, etc.) This report covers performance benchmarks, key trends, and data-backed insights financial institutions should know about their appointment experience (both in-person and online)—and how it impacts client satisfaction, staff performance, and their growth outlook for the year ahead. Early Benchmarking Trends Preview 85% Of financial institutions handle 75 appointments or more per month at each branch. 89% Of financial institutions have dedicated appointment and queuing software. 49% Of operations and experience staff ‘Somewhat Satisfied’ with jo Watch the Benchmark Report Preview Listen to Aaron Young, SVP Branch Operations/Retail Banking at CU SoCal and Christine Matu, VP Product Marketing at Coconut Software as they discuss: In-depth benchmarks to measure their bank or credit union’s performance against How top-tier institutions create a best-in-class experience—both online and off Key technology investments that have an impact on client and staff satisfaction The top trends expected to impact industry growth and competition in the year ahead https://www.coconutsoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/TrendReportWebinar.mp4 ACCESS NOW 🥥 Unlock appointment experience benchmarks all financial institutions need to know about and see how your financial institution stacks up  🥥

Banking Analytics Guide: 32 Metrics for CX Leaders

Digital Guide Banking Analytics Guide: 32 Metrics for CX Leaders A three-step process for building a data foundation, maturing your analytics strategy, and making predictions at your financial institution. What’s Inside: Interaction Data: The Key to Unlocking Customer and Member Delight Phase 1: Build a Data Collection Foundation Phase 2. Set Up Banking Analytics to Measure Continuously Phase 3. Start Making Forecasts Telling Better Stories Leads to Better Experiences Interaction Data: The Key to Unlocking Customer and Member Delight Today it feels like every financial publication is saying some version of “data analytics in banking matters.” But rarely do they explain precisely how institutions are supposed to track it, measure it, and use it to improve the customer or member experience. Nor do they pay attention to the interaction points that are still the lifeblood of most institutions: appointments and walk-ins. We set out to change that in this practical, step-by-step guide. We share how to get a clearer picture of how customers and members interact with staff across online and offline channels in three stages. First, we cover how to gather your data. Second, we share how to set up banking analytics tracking and what metrics to measure. Third and finally, we’ll talk about using all that historical data to forecast things like traffic, staffing needs, and whether to make big decisions to redesign a branch. By the end, you’ll be making decisions with data and combining multiple data types to craft a better customer and member experience. For example, before, you may have known people waited an average of nine minutes in-branch. But did you know how they were feeling about the wait? What if to them, it feels short, and doesn’t need fixing? When you have a data foundation as outlined in this guide, you’ll know the answer. And you’ll know answers to lots of other questions that tell your institution where your time is best spent improving customer and member engagement. Phase 1: Build a Data Collection Foundation Whenever you want to analyze something—be it shells on a beach or typical loan applicant backgrounds—you start by counting. That’s where we’ll begin this guide—picking the data types you want to track to count things. For many banks and credit unions, the most valuable data still only exists in people’s heads, isn’t being collected, or there’s no formalized process for reviewing it. But until you start tracking a few metrics regularly, you can’t start answering questions or taking thoughtful, calculated actions to improve them. In this first section, we look at three common data categories. Then we share seven places to find that data. And finally, we’ll guide you through building a spreadsheet to start tracking it. You may be in this phase if one or more of these apply: Don’t yet know what questions to ask Are unsure what data is being collected Don’t have clear performance baselines Don’t have a formal process for reviewing data and acting on insights 1. For the Full Story, Categorize Data by Clients, Staff, and Product If you want to understand how clients interact with your institution, there are three sides to that story—the client’s take, the staff member’s take, and what happened in your client application or channel. Gather all three separately to understand how they influence one another. Here are three ways to organize your data. You can combine multiple data types to reveal insights. For instance, looking at both quantitative and qualitative client data would help you answer one of the questions we asked earlier: If you know your average wait is nine minutes, is that good or bad? With several data types, the story becomes clear (see right). When you layer in staff data, the story takes on a new dimension. Let’s say average handling times are on the higher end for a transactional service—but your staff say they feel rushed. What is happening at that branch? That’s a data story to investigate (see right). 2. To Really Understand Your Growth, Tag Data by Type Consider this puzzle: How would you know if one loan officer has a higher close rate than another? Or if one advisor was far more effective than others at bundling products? Unless you track interactions, products, and transactions separately, you wouldn’t know. Interactions are any interaction between a client and your digital properties or staff. This includes things like phone calls, walk-ins, app logins, and more. Products and services are the things clients say they’re interested in, like loans, mortgages, checking accounts, financial health checks, wealth management, etc. Outcomes are the products clients actually end up buying. These are the building blocks of understanding a customer or member’s journey. And it’s only by tagging these three types that you’re able to answer questions like: Did someone who interacted actually sign up? Did they discuss multiple products, but only sign up for one? Did an interaction with your staff get them to add more products? How many interactions or touch points were required for a successful outcome? Did a client decide not to move forward with a product? Did a series of interactions end in a purchase? Otherwise, if you only know the outcomes, you won’t know the journey that led there, and you’ll have a lot fewer data stories to tell. Now, the next question is, where do you get real data, and start to do this for yourself? We cover that next. 3. Gather Your Data From Systems and Surveys If you want to understand how clients interact with your institution, there are three sides to that story—the client’s take, the staff member’s take, and what happened in your client application or channel. Gather all three separately to understand how they influence one another. 7 Common (and Useful) Banking Analytics Data Sources 1. Appointment and Queuing Platform An appointment and queue platform can tell you what services people requested, what location they booked at, whether they showed up, who they met, how long they waited, how often they rebooked, what the next steps were, and more. Shows

Banking Customer Experience Trends + Examples for 2023 

Digital Guide 16 Examples of Exceptional Banking Experiences Inspiring banking customer experiences for financial institutions to emulate. What’s Inside: Why The Best Banking Experiences Are Simple Trend #1: Streamlining the In-Branch Experience Trend #2: Uniting Online and Offline Trend #3: Offering A Mix of Flexible Services Trend #4: Communicating How You Help Clearly  Great Customer Experiences Are Client-Led Featuring the voices of: Jared Jones Director of Sales, DBSI James White Industry Principal for Banking and Credit Unions, Total Expert Chad Rogers EVP and COO of Connexus CU Olga Zakharenkava VP of Product Management, Doxim Why The Best Banking Experiences Are Simple These past two years, banks and credit unions have been inundated with new technology. Banking tech has become a $500 billion industry, and a startling number of vendors advertise some sort of advanced “AI.” But do your customers and members need you to be deploying more technology and AI to keep them engaged? What if the way to your clients’ hearts was a lot simpler? What if what they needed was for financial institutions to do a really good job at the simple but satisfying banking basics, like opening an account or talking to a human? We studied recent banking customer experience (CX) reports from Forrester, Gartner, J.D. Power, BAI, and West Monroe to find out. The conclusion: Simple is not only satisfying for clients, but it’s also affordable for you. In this section, we share four ways you can upgrade your in-branch experience. Trend 1 Streamlining the In-Branch Experience Imagine you arrive at a beachfront hotel and there’s nobody at the desk to help you. You wait, and wait, and wait. That hotel group’s big investments in advanced AI customer experience tools are all forfeited in that one poor interaction. But what if that hotel had instead invested in technology to greet you? What if a check-in iPad took your name and printed your room key? That’s the difference between investing in your back office versus your branches. Operations executives tend to think about the big picture, future things—but customers and members tend to judge the experience based on the little things, like how long they waited and whether the greeter’s smile felt genuine. You can apply software to those branch interactions and make a big impact on your overall experience. 1. Redesign Parts of Your Branches to Feel More Welcoming Banks and credit unions that get high marks in Forrester’s research on CX tend to have branches that feel welcoming. And that same report encourages banks and credit unions to start their CX thinking not with the website but with the welcome mat. Bright signage and a genuine greeting can go a long way. But so does crafting what’s called a “zero wait” environment where clients can sign in on their own via tablet kiosks. This adds them to a central queue and tells them how long the wait is, and also presents options, such as booking a future appointment. If a visitor’s request is simple, perhaps the kiosk can direct them to the app on their phone, or initiate an instant video call with an associate at another branch. A redesign can also include physical changes like: Adding lighting Shifting the floor transitions Installing colored carpeting to guide visitors Removing stanchions Removing bulletproof glass Removing the counter Adding “flex desks” and call booths According to experts, your redesign will incorporate not just one change, but many, and you’ll need to know what you’re hoping to achieve. “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.” EXAMPLE Lone Star Credit Union Replaces Lines with Universal Associates Lone Star’s team wanted to let members handle more transactions on their own, to free up associates to be better advisors. This led them to tear down their counter and eliminate the concept of waiting in line. Now, if you visit a branch, you’ll see that members know to use self-service stations or, if they need more help, walk over to a series of welcoming “flex offices” where roaming associates take meetings. 2. Let Clients Skip the Wait (With Appointments) Customers and members can instantly schedule appointments for haircuts, workouts, and doctor visits—so why not with their bank? Appointments save time, allow clients to plan ahead, and be seen right away when they arrive. And appointment reminder emails help them come prepared with the right documents or ID. On the backend, appointments create a great experience for staff, which improves the customer experience even further. Staff come prepared to each meeting and don’t need to start by asking for as much background information. This often means appointments are faster and things are less rushed. Appointment booking also generates useful data about capacity and staffing, so branches aren’t understaffed—which helps keeps lines shorter, too. EXAMPLE Rogue CU Reduces Lineups While Nearly Doubling Appointments Before implementing friendlier technology to let members schedule appointments, Rogue CU had members walking out of its branches every day because of the wait. After the switch, the wait times dropped, staff received lots of positive feedback, and it saved many people from having to drive in—30% of people thereafter choose to take their appointment over the phone. 3. Create a Service Fast Lane For simple transactions, like reordering credit cards or checks, consider offering a dedicated in-branch window or phone line with next to no wait (similar to an express checkout line in a grocery store). They key to making this flow in-branch is to use a queuing system that allows clients to identify which kind of service they need before entering a line. (A helpful greeter can also direct them in lieu of technology.) Fast lanes can help improve the customer or member experience  because clients