[Updated August 2025]
Across the financial industry, one big shift is clear: members aren’t coming to the branch for basic transactions anymore—they’re coming for advice.
Just look at Barclays Bank, which retrained over 6,000 branch employees into “community bankers” to help members with financial planning instead of just processing transactions. That’s the future—and it’s already happening in credit unions.
As more people rely on mobile apps for deposits and payments, branches are becoming service centers for deeper conversations.
Members Want to Book These Conversations
When members need help with:
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Credit counseling
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Loan options
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Retirement planning
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Big purchases
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Resolving issues
…they want to schedule an appointment—not wait in line.
Better Lobby Tools Built for This Shift
Better Lobby supports this new role of the branch with easy, mobile-first tools:
✅ Appointment Booking: Members can book time with the right person—face-to-face, phone, or video.
✅ Online Queueing + Mobile Check-In: Visitors can join a digital waitlist or check in from the parking lot.
✅ Kiosks & Wall Displays: Self check-in and real-time updates help manage in-branch flow.
✅ Reports & Dashboards: See what services are in demand and when, so staff is scheduled effectively.
The Result? Higher Satisfaction + Smoother Operations
Giving members tools to plan their branch visit leads to:
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Less stress for staff and visitors
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More time for meaningful conversations
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Increased efficiency without sacrificing service
Key Takeaway
As branches shift toward offering advice and support, members expect a more modern way to engage. Better Lobby helps credit unions make every conversation count—efficiently and personally.
The following section is the original post from July 2014. While some product names and screenshots may be outdated, we’ve kept it here for historical reference.
Barclays Bank, a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London, is retraining 6,500 traditional branch staff so they can offer financial management to customers. Starting in October, these former tellers will adopt the role of “community bankers,” and receive a pay raise.
Like most financial institutions, Barclays has seen the number of customers using digital channels grow substantially over the past few years. Increasingly, consumers are choosing to conduct basic transactions through self-service digital platforms – especially mobile – and use branches for more in-depth conversations with staff.
Key Takeaway: As more people come to the branch for financial advice and problem resolution, they will want to schedule an appointment in advance. This why we developed our Mobile Wait Indicator solution which encourages branch visits from the mobile channel and helps visitors select the best time to visit the branch, resulting in higher member satisfaction and “smoother” branch traffic flow.