09 Nov Credit Union queue management system

Established in the 1960s, credit unions are Irish financial cooperatives, providing credit and other financial services to members across Ireland. A credit union is owned and controlled by its members and therefore the emphasis is always on providing the best customer experience to the people who use their services.

With new guidelines on social distancing introduced in 2020, the way customers access these services has changed. New measures put in place such as safety screens and the compulsory use of face coverings can make it difficult for customers to understand or hear basic staff communications.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, safety screens were installed at customer counters in a Credit Union in Limerick, Ireland. This resulted in customers being unable to hear staff calling them to the next available counter and lead to a requirement for a queue management system.

Contacta’s installation partner 212 Solutions, gained over a decade of  experience in installing Contacta Q-Control and Window Intercom systems in Ireland. They installed this 4 position Q-Control system as part of a refurbishment of the credit union branch. The modular system provides customers with both audio and visual direction to the next available counter position. It also enables efficient management of queues and eliminates the need for staff to shout to be heard from behind a safety screen, whilst spacing out customers waiting for service and keeping distances between staff and customers.

After liaising with the  counter manufacturer, access was made possible from the ceiling to the counter as part of the design. This made cable routing easier and more secured, and enabled the team of 212 Solutions to efficiently install the system within 4 hours.

The main display of the Q-Control, which is located at the head of the queue, well suited the design of the counter and was aesthetically pleasing. Its central position ensured good reception of the audio announcements by all customers.

With safety screens increasingly becoming a feature in all customer interaction points, products such as the Q-Control help to provide an effective and efficient service which can otherwise be compromised by safety barriers.