Enhance Branch Health and Safety

What does integrated safety look like?

Institutions will need to communicate digitally that they are ready for employees and patrons to return and will need to quickly demonstrate that they have created spaces and environments that prioritize public health and safety. Imagine a branch designed for social distancing, with the consumer journey mapped and managed to seamlessly control spacing and interaction.  Members and employees enter through automatic doors, never having to touch a handle.  Copper alloy surfaces that are anti-microbial, as well as functional and aesthetically pleasing, adorn properly spaced consultation stations.  In a space drenched in natural sunlight, UV-based disinfecting systems target high-touch, high-traffic areas.  Enhanced HVAC filtration systems continuously maintain the air quality of the physical space behind-the-scenes. These types of changes are key to the branch of the future, but there are even more things financial leaders can do. 

How can technology enhance safety?

Understandably, much attention is being paid to the safety of the physical branch and the changes that will come. However, it’s important to consider how all your banking channels work together to promote and protect safety. Now may be the time for a paradigm shift.  Rather than physical vs digital channels, what if we looked at branch technology, including digital, as a foundational strategy to support and connect in-person service, remote service and self-service?  Would that enable financial leaders to more readily adapt to whatever challenges come their way?

Looking ahead, technology will enable a better, safer branch experience and is key to integrating self-service and in-person service specifically.  With a fully tech-enabled journey, should a member want or need to visit a branch for something like opening an account or refinancing a loan, being able to schedule an appointment online will help to manage their time and expectations, and control branch traffic.  Enhancing that experience one step further, digital queuing enables staff to alert members waiting in the parking lot when it is safe to enter the lobby.  

In the not-so-distant future, once a member enters the branch, digital signage populated by a content management program can highlight the various ways the branch has been modified for their safety and include messaging on best-practices for in-branch interaction.  That content can easily be changed to feature promotions, new perks and even local community events.  During scheduled meetings, there will likely be an even greater desire to minimize the time physically spent in the branch, and a digital strategy that enables members to start something online (new account activation, a loan, etc.) and seamlessly continue the conversation in-branch will be highly valued.  For simple transactions,  ATMs can handle withdrawals and deposits, while an upgrade to or the addition of ITMs connected to core systems can help maintain physical distancing while providing personalized support via a remote video operator.  These are just a few of the many changes credit unions can make to create a better, safer experience by positioning digital or technology strategies at the center of their universe. 

There is no crystal ball showing us what the future holds. An investment in your future involves both quickly and effectively modifying your space to meet the immediate needs of today’s post-pandemic consumer, while keeping an eye toward investments that allow you to easily adapt to what the future might bring.

So, will building branches with technology be the future? If so, the institutions that adapt will be the ones that thrive.