PHILADELPHIA-On a typical workday, Jackie Pickard, a teller at American Heritage Federal Credit Union in northeast Philly, walks into the CU's stately office building, fires up her computer and begins her day serving members-some of whom are located miles away.
That's because Pickard is not a typical teller-she's a video one.
Using the CU's personal automated teller system, Pickard interacts with members at PAT machines, which resemble supersized ATMs. The $1.3 billion credit union has deployed PAT machines since 2010 to allow members to withdraw cash in denominations of their choice, receive coins, (but not coin rolls), pay bills, deposit checks and more with the help of remote tellers. The machines were originally purchased from uGenius, which was acquired by NCR Corp. earlier this year.
The hours go by and the transactions are steady and standard. A handful of agents take turns handling Skype-like experiences for offsite members while Meg Kenny, the call center supervisor, sits in the middle to help when needed. Members, who show no surprise at the experience, usually want to deposit payroll checks, take out money or inquire about their balances.
In a floral top, glasses and a smile, Pickard connects easily with members. And the members' personalities shine through, as well. After making a deposit, a man assured Pickard, "It's just going out of my hands and into my wife's hands." There are giggles and "thank you's."
There is also the occasional minor glitch.
When a check clogs up the machine, a staff member is promptly alerted to troubleshoot the problem while Pickard defuses the tension by saying the machine doesn't know the weekend is here.
Pickard, who has worked as a traditional teller and appeared on a fitness segment with her mom on the Steve Harvey show, serves as a traditional call center agent as well as a PAT teller.
She said that members videoing in tend to be kinder than when they call. "It's harder over the phone to know there's empathy. In video, they can see we are genuinely trying to help them solve issues."
If you're a video teller at AMHFCU, you have to be up for anything. Sometimes a man will ask you out to dinner. Sometimes children will video prank call you. Sometimes a screen without anyone in it will show up, and then a grown man will jump up from the ground.
Over the years, Pickard has learned some fashion lessons too: don't wear shiny shirts. "You can wear bright colors and you can wear dark colors," she noted. "I don't want to wear sparkles anymore because of the look on people's faces."
What now seems typical to members probably wasn't always so. Unlike the traditional teller counter, a member must place his driver's license on the PAT machine and enter his account number or social security digits. Then the video tellers, along with some animated videos, occasionally explain the next steps.
Videoconferencing technology that was once reserved for the boardroom is coming to ATM-like machines.
Video technology is attracting growing interest among CUs that are pressured to reimagine their branches as foot traffic drops, digital channel usage grows and consumer expectations heighten. Along with gaining workforce efficiencies, the interactive video technology lets institutions try out new markets in a smaller square footage, including drive ups, while offering extended services to customers. A Celent report published in July said video banking will become an important component of retail delivery across all digital channels.
Ruling Paves The Way
In the last 13 months, NCUA ruled that CUs can use remote teller technology to qualify as service facilities; NCR, once only owning a stake, acquired uGenius; Diebold started offering a competing product; and Bank of America Corp. began testing ATMs with Teller Assist, which includes on-demand video tellers.
Jed Taylor, vice president and general manager of interactive banking at NCR, said personal teller machines were originally meant to consolidate labor costs and have now come into another purpose. "The technology is really helping banks create new types of branch models," Taylor said. The trend includes allowing for extended service hours and for traditional tellers to focus on sales and service.
Since AMHFCU debuted the PAT kiosks, NCR has built a drive-up version and packaged the software into smaller hardware units, allowing for more deployment possibilities, and it now counts more than 60 clients of its video technology. The deployment reasons vary by client.
AMHFCU largely views its investment as a way to serve members in grocery stores and to supplement its traditional teller lines with a centralized staff, said Brian Hahn, vice president of branch operations.
Centralized remote video tellers allow for several perks. When a branch first opens and traffic is slow, perhaps only one traditional teller will be needed to work alongside available PAT machines, for example. Or if the call center is flooded with calls, a PAT agent could hop off video to help. "I better utilize my staff and it makes scheduling more efficient," Hahn said.
The operational efficiencies dream didn't start so simply.
When a PAT machine was installed at Aria Health, initial results disappointed. But when PAT machines came to the grocery stores, the usage vision turned into a reality. "That's where the PAT machine gave us the ability to make use of a small footprint," Hahn noted. "Members are going there anyway: They can complete another chore."
The CU plans to add two more PAT machines and move its video tellers to a nearby building, a transition that will accommodate up to 11 seats.
