Lobby Queues can improve Staff Performance

[Updated April 2025]

Why Time Matters: How Better Lobby Helps Credit Unions Serve Busy Members

According to Gallup, half of Americans feel they don’t have enough time in the day. That’s especially true when it comes to running errands like visiting the credit union. Members want fast, friendly service—but they also want to feel like their time is respected. Staff Performance is critical for better member experience.

This reality brings up four important questions for credit union leaders:

  1. How long will members wait before they become frustrated?

  2. Does waiting make members less open to longer conversations or sales?

  3. Are you staffed properly when foot traffic spikes?

  4. How can you make the most of the short time you have with each member?

Better Lobby helps credit unions answer all of these questions with smart lobby management tools—starting with self check-in kiosks and member data collection.

Prepare Before the Conversation Starts Helping Staff Performance

When members check in using a Better Lobby kiosk (or a mobile link), they’re asked to provide:

  • Their name or member ID

  • The reason for their visit (e.g., open an account, apply for a loan, update contact info)

This simple step gives your member service reps (MSRs) a huge advantage: they can review the member’s info, prepare materials, and focus their time before the meeting even starts.

That leads to:

  • ✅ Shorter wait times

  • ✅ More productive conversations

  • ✅ Higher member satisfaction

  • ✅ Stronger opportunities for cross-selling

Make the Most of Every Minute

Better Lobby isn’t just about keeping the line moving—it’s about maximizing the quality of each interaction. When your team is informed and prepared, they can get straight to helping members—without rushing or scrambling. Helping credit unions succeed.

Even better, the system provides real-time data and reports to help managers:

  • Staff up during peak hours

  • Reduce bottlenecks

  • Spot trends in service demand

This leads to fewer delays, smoother visits, and better use of everyone’s time.

Using Wait Time Data to Improve Member Satisfaction

No one likes waiting—especially when it comes to handling their money. For credit unions, managing wait times is a key part of delivering a great member experience. That’s why Better Lobby makes it easy to track, understand, and improve wait time performance across all branches.

See the Full Picture of Wait Times

Better Lobby tracks wait time data in real time and stores it in over 50 easy-to-use reports. You can view:

  • ⏰ Average wait time by hour

  • 🗓️ Trends by day of the week

  • 📍 Wait times across different branch locations

This helps branch managers answer important questions like:

  • When are we the busiest?

  • Which branch has the longest waits?

  • Do we need more staff at certain times?

Going Deeper with Business Intelligence Tools

Some credit unions want to go even further. That’s why Better Lobby allows access to wait time data directly from its SQL database. This means your team can:

  • Pull Better Lobby data into business intelligence (BI) tools like Power BI or Tableau

  • Combine it with other data (like core system info, staffing schedules, or survey results)

  • Create custom dashboards to spot trends, identify issues, and improve planning

This level of insight helps credit unions make smarter staffing decisions, improve scheduling, and most importantly—reduce wait times for members.

Why Wait Time Data Matters for Members

When members experience long waits, even great service can feel frustrating. But when branches are staffed appropriately and running smoothly, members feel:

  • ✅ Valued and respected

  • ✅ Less rushed or anxious

  • ✅ More open to asking questions or learning about other services

In short, shorter waits = happier members.

Final Thoughts

Better Lobby doesn’t just help you manage member traffic—it helps you improve the quality of every visit. By using wait time data effectively, your credit union can plan better, respond faster, and create a smoother experience for every member who walks through the door.

Whether you’re using built-in reports or connecting to a BI platform, Better Lobby gives you the tools to turn wait time data into real-world service improvements.

Request a demo

A photo of staff in a credit union working together. Better Lobby software can improve teamwork of credit union staff and lobby efficiency.

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.

Gallup polls show that half of Americans feel that they are pressed for time in their daily lives. For credit unions looking to deliver stellar service, this fact of life brings up four big questions:

  1. How long will members wait for service and remain “happy”?
  2. Does waiting time erode “consulting” time, because the member becomes anxious to leave?
  3. Are you adequately staffed for traffic surges?
  4. How to do you make the most of the limited time spent with a member?

At Better Branches Technology, we know from experience that platform staff performance improves if Platform Staff know the member’s identity and the purpose of their visit prior to starting their interaction with the member.  Knowing this, the MSR can prepare for the meeting – review the account, assemble product collateral and generally “get focused”.

Key Takeaway: Lobby Management applications with member check-in kiosks can improve platform performance by immediately capturing visitor identity and visit purpose. The additional information will pay big dividends in new sales and member satisfaction.