Did you know that despite the pandemic accelerating the use of online appointment solutions in the banking industry, eight out of the 10 largest banks were already using appointment scheduling software prior to COVID-19? That’s because appointments are a key way to personalize financial services, and give customers and members the experiences they want.
In a bank setting, appointment scheduling provides the benefits of upsell and cross-sell opportunities, improved customer loyalty, and increased customer retention. For credit unions, appointments can improve the overall member experience, and build better relationships that guide members to a better financial future.
All in all, financial institutions are seeing benefits and improving experiences across the board with appointment scheduling. Keep reading to learn how three financial institutions are using appointments to drive success and meet hybrid banking demand!
U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank implemented online appointment scheduling prior to COVID-19, but during the pandemic, the ability to book an appointment online became a lifeline for many of their customers. More than 1 million appointments were booked in 2020 - which was a nearly 2,220% increase from 2019.* U.S. Bank employees noted how appointments helped them enhance the overall experience, providing customers a safe and efficient way to do business with them.
“Appointment setting allowed us to meet with our customers at the Broomfield branch in a protected environment, and it created such a good experience all around – it gave us the time to really talk to the customers.”
- Roger Ware, Branch Manager
Additionally, U.S. Bank recently launched virtual appointments across their branch network. Many of their branch bankers gave feedback on how their customers, of all demographics, enjoyed the virtual appointment option due to flexibility and the fact the personal connection remained strong, even via video.
“I recently held a virtual appointment with a customer. They were unable to get to the branch due to not being able to leave their home. They were super excited that we were offering this option as an alternative to coming into the branch. We had no issues connecting and after roughly 5 minutes of chatting, we both almost forgot that we were not meeting in person in the branch, because the connection felt so real.” - Faith, Branch Banker in Hastings, Minnesota.
*Information pulled from: https://www.usbank.com/newsroom/stories/one-year-later-us-bank-branch-employees-reflect-on-covid-19.html
**Information pulled from: https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/company-blog/article-library/us-bank-launches-industry-leading-video-banking-options-for-customers.html
Takeaway: Customers of all demographics have come to expect the convenience and personalization of one-to-one appointments from wherever they are. By embracing an appointment scheduling solution, your bank can scale and address the needs of all current and future customers by providing the options they need to bank from anywhere, including in-person and virtual appointments. Meeting this expectation can exponentially increase your appointment volume, and provide opportunity for upsell and cross-sell.
Visions Federal Credit Union
Visions Federal Credit Union serves over 210,000 members with more than 50 branches in three states. Member-owned and committed to the communities they serve for more than 50 years, Visions Federal Credit Union strives to build relationships that accommodate every stage of life.
With a focus on people and serving their members the best they can, Visions Federal Credit Union was looking for an appointment scheduling solution that would make it easy and intuitive for members to book an appointment online. They set an appointment volume goal for their first month after deploying an online appointment solution, and exceeded that goal by nearly 9 times.
With appointment scheduling software, Visions Federal Credit Union is able to give their members personalized, efficient, and convenient service - helping them to serve their members and help guide them to a successful financial future.
Takeaway: By implementing an appointment scheduling solution, you can improve the overall experience by giving your members options to meet at a time that works best for them and pair them with an expert that can help them navigate their financial questions.
Oriental Bank
Oriental Bank knew that the typical perception of in-branch experiences across the banking industry, was one of frustration. That perception was driven by long, uncertain wait times, often the need for a return visit if the right consultant wasn’t on site that day, or the customer hadn’t brought the right documentation required for the account they were opening.
In a typical month, Oriental Bank took 13,000 appointments on the platform, including web-based and walk-in appointments. Almost immediately, Oriental Bank observed that customers who booked online were experiencing shorter waiting times by over 50% – in the region of 3 minutes, instead of 13-14 minutes for a walk-in.
This helped improve both the customer and employee experience because employees knew exactly why the customer was coming in, and they can prepare comprehensively to provide a more personalized, enhanced banking experience.
Takeaway: Sometimes it comes down to perception - and the last thing you want to do is be known for long bank lines. Appointment scheduling software can be a part of the solution to not only improve perception, but actually give customers time back from having to physically wait in a line, and feel confident that they are meeting with an expert to help them with their financial needs. Additionally, this also improves the employee experience because they can have the information they need at their fingertips before the appointment.
Download the Oriental Bank case study
These are just a few of the ways banks and credit unions can use appointment scheduling software to build loyalty and improve the customer and member experience. If you are interested in learning more about how we work with financial institutions to help them exceed customer and member expectations, then schedule a time to meet with an expert!
