[Updated April 2025]
Why Branch Appointment Scheduling Is the Missing Piece of Member Service
As credit unions work to modernize their branches and improve the member experience, appointment scheduling is quickly becoming a must-have feature. While big banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and BMO Harris have offered online scheduling for years, many credit unions are just beginning to explore this powerful tool.
And it’s more than just a convenience—it’s the bridge between online and in-branch service.
The Problem with Traditional Appointment Handling
Through conversations with credit unions, we discovered some common issues:
-
📋 Many still rely on spreadsheets or shared Outlook calendars to manage appointments, which can be clunky, siloed, and error-prone.
-
🙈 Other staff can’t always see Branch Appointment Scheduling, making it hard to prepare or adjust staffing.
-
📉 There are few metrics available to analyze performance, such as how many members walk in versus schedule ahead.
These outdated methods limit branch efficiency and can lead to missed opportunities for service—and even lost business.
How Better Lobby Fixes It
Better Lobby’s Appointment Module makes it easy for both members and staff to book, manage, and prepare for branch appointments. It gives credit unions:
-
✅ A shared, centralized calendar visible to all relevant staff
-
🧠 Smart scheduling rules to avoid booking during peak hours and shift demand to quieter times
-
📲 Mobile/web self-booking so members can choose a time that works best for them—anytime, from anywhere
-
📊 Built-in metrics and reporting to help managers understand appointment trends and improve scheduling
Why Branch Appointment Scheduling Matters
Appointments are more than just a tool for saving time—they’re a way to:
-
🧭 Guide members to the right services
-
📅 Balance traffic throughout the day
-
🧑💼 Empower staff to prepare and deliver better service
-
📈 Start transforming your branch into a sales and service hub instead of just a transaction point
When implemented correctly, branch appointments create a smoother, more intentional member experience.
Final Thoughts
The future of credit union service is about meeting members where they are—online, in person, or both. Branch appointments make that connection seamless. They allow you to provide high-touch service with less wait, more preparation, and better use of your branch resources.
If your credit union is still using spreadsheets or patchwork calendars, now’s the time to upgrade. Better Lobby makes it simple to add scheduling tools that improve operations and make life easier for both your staff and your members.
The following section is the original post from January 2014. While some product names and screenshots may be outdated, we’ve kept it here for historical reference.
A new area to watch is the use of Branch Appointments. In many ways, this is currently the missing piece of the “member visit puzzle. Appointment Scheduling Software is often used by credit unions. Big players are already onboard with this progressive concept. Case in point: Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, and BMO Harris are all offering scheduling tools on their websites.
Some interesting discoveries were made as we worked with clients to better understand their appointment handling needs:
- Appointment handling is often not well organized in most CUs. Some use spreadsheets or share Outlook calendars in a way that is cumbersome and not visible to other employees.
- Appointments can be used to reduce cost and improve service. In client discussions it became clear that encouraging appointments in off-peak times (i.e., 2- 4 pm) and NOT making appointments during peak times (i.e., 11 am to 1:30 pm) was considered a good way to move peak traffic into slow periods.
- Current branch appointment handling methods provide few workforce metrics to assist management in evolving the branch, e.g., they cannot provide metrics such as: “appointments vs. walk-ins ratio”.
- Mobile/web member-initiated appointments are coming – few CUs have the technical or operational infrastructure needed to meet this member expectation.
Key Takeaway: the ability to set Branch Appointments is an effective way for credit unions to bridge their online and offline channels and while starting the processes of transforming their branches into sales and service hubs.
