TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -
"We like to see real-time data of the number of members being served at each location, what their current wait times are, who are serving members, and what products are being sold with a ratio of checking versus share accounts," said Kitty Casey, senior vice president, branch operations.
Casey doesn't have to count teller tick-marks to get that data. Instead, she uses Lobby Tracking, a web-based lobby management tool that can help reduce lobby log-jams and provides snapshots of lobby activity, such as wait-times, member interaction and transaction duration. The system is provided by Financial Management Solutions, Inc. (FMSI) of Atlanta.
Lisa Leeper, director of branch operations at Tinker, is a fan of the Lobby Tracking dashboard, which she runs continuously in minimized mode at her workstation. "Lobby Tracking has been a lifesaver in several areas," Leeper said. "I have really seen a change."
Members at the $1.4-billion CU had to wait for service for an average of less than three minutes last year, down from a previous average lobby wait time of eight minutes, she said.
Visions FCU in Endicott, NY, which has used Lobby Tracking for two years, is getting similar results. Average wait time at the credit union has dropped to less than five minutes from up to 15 minutes in previous years, according to Kay Murray, sales and automated delivery officer at the $1.7-million CU.
In addition, Tinker FCU beat its target last year of achieving a 60% checking-to-share ratio, instead reaching a 70% ratio. "Lobby Tracking is helping us achieve these goals," added Leeper. "I use it to benchmark and track my performance levels and member wait-time."
How? According to Leeper, "What doesn't get measured doesn't get worked. If you're measuring wait time, your member service officers will be cognizant and on their toes."
Casey agreed: "A credit union cannot improve member service if the service levels are unknown or inaccurate."
For example, if Lobby Tracking alerts Leeper that a teller line is slower than molasses, Leeper herself pitches in to hasten the flow. "If I have a member waiting longer than 10 minutes, then I'm immediately out in the lobby, and I know what their name is and how I can help them."
"Lobby Tracking also provides a bird's-eye view of the products and services that employees engage the member with at each branch," Leeper continued. "If I see that an employee spends just 10 minutes opening a savings account, then I've got a problem with that. The employee should be cross-selling multiple products and services. That's a training opportunity for me to coach employees to deepen the relationship with members."
Previously, both credit unions tracked lobby activity with pencil and paper.
"A receptionist would log the member coming in and log the member going out," Leeper said. "It wasn't an accurate picture."
"Many employees just guessed at the times and rounded them up to the closest minute," added Murray.
Now, a credit union greeter registers member arrival times into the Lobby Tracking system. In the absence of a greeter, members can register their arrival via a lobby touch-screen.
Member satisfaction with teller performance at Tinker last year was measured at 6.5 on a scale of 7, Leeper said.
FOR MORE RESOURCES
* Tinker FCU, www.tinkerfcu.org
* Visions FCU, visionsfcu.org
* FMSI, www.fmsi.com
