Optimizing the Appointment System and In-Person Service Management at Banc Sabadell

Banc Sabadell is committed to enhancing the customer experience and improving operational efficiency within its branches. To achieve this, the bank utilizes an Appointment System known as “Cita Previa”, which is designed to avoid queues, optimize service delivery, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline internal processes.

The primary purpose of “Cita Previa” is to give preference to clients with scheduled appointments over walk-ins, thereby reducing waiting times and eliminating unnecessary queues. This system allows managers to efficiently organize their agendas, optimize office resources, and prepare in advance for consultations, resulting in a more personalized and effective service for clients.

Branch Kiosks for Queue Management:

To further support customer flow, Banc Sabadell has deployed 244 kiosks (“Totems”) in selected branches, primarily those experiencing higher customer traffic. These kiosks serve as physical devices dedicated to organizing the flow of clients and prioritizing those with appointments.

Kiosk Operation Workflow:

• Registration upon Arrival: Customers enter their ID (DNI) at the kiosk upon arriving at the branch.

• Appointment Recognition: The system checks if the customer has a scheduled appointment and, if so, grants them priority in the queue.

• Queue Management for Walk-ins: For customers without appointments, the kiosk assigns a turn, thereby avoiding disorder and confusion.

• Branch Adaptation: Each branch can configure kiosk usage based on its specific volume and operational needs.

Benefits of the Kiosk System:

• Improves customer experience by reducing waiting times and organizing service delivery.

• Enables managers to better plan their schedules and allocate internal resources more efficiently.

• Helps avoid queues and disorder, especially in high-traffic branches.

• Complements the appointment system by managing arrival and order, though the kiosk does not allow for booking new appointments.

Limitations of the Kiosk System:

• Challenging for elderly customers to use.

• Frequent errors during ID entry.

• Difficulty identifying foreign customers.

• Issues with screen sensitivity.

• Absence of systematic feedback on user experience.

Manual Queue Management in Non-Kiosk Branches:

In branches without a kiosk, queue management and the prioritization of customers with appointments are handled manually by staff. This manual approach presents several challenges:

• Difficulty distinguishing between customers with and without appointments, as only the most relevant commercial appointments are reported.

• Inability to confirm whether a customer attended their appointment or if the manager was available at the scheduled time.

• The problem is compounded for telephone appointments, which account for 40% of all appointments. There is a lack of clarity about whether the appointments were attended, calls made, or if customers answered the phone.

• No further kiosks are planned for deployment due to budget and accessibility constraints.

Identified Friction Points:

The current process faces several challenges:

• Difficulty confirming if an appointment has taken place, whether in-person or by phone.

• Lack of integration between the CRM system and telephony, creating confusion around telephone appointments.

• Manual queue management in branches without kiosks affects the ability to properly prioritize customers.

• Usability issues with kiosks, including challenges for elderly people, ID entry errors, and difficulties identifying foreign customers.

• No systematic feedback mechanism exists to capture the experiences of customers and managers.

Challenge Objectives:

To address these challenges, Banc Sabadell seeks technological solutions aimed at:

• Enabling automatic and reliable registration of customer attendance, regardless of whether they have an appointment.

• Establishing omnichannel integration (in-person, telephone, video call) for comprehensive tracking and reporting.

• Improving user experience in branches without kiosks and enhancing interaction with existing devices.

• Implementing agile feedback mechanisms for both customers and managers.

• Introducing innovative methods for customer identification and prioritization, such as secure QR codes, geolocation, NFC, or Bluetooth technologies.

• Exploring any disruptive improvements or proposals for managing in-person customer visits at branches.

Invitation for Solutions:

Banc Sabadell invites companies to propose solutions that deliver greater efficiency, traceability, and a seamless experience for both customers and managers.