Get the picture? New uses of video in the branch are changing the way that financial institutions market to--and interact with--their customers.

• Author: Stewart, Deb

New video technologies have had a significant impact on our home lives over the last two decades. Think about things like VCRs, DVDs, TiVo, Movies/ Sports/News-on-on-Demand. These technologies have helped us to take control of out time. They have raised our expectations as to the nature of entertainment, and they have changed forever the way in which we expect to receive information. These same technologies are changing the face of the retail bank customer experience around the world. From the teller line to the drive-up, from entertainment to expert access, these technologies are creating new ways for customers and bankers to do business together.

Here is a brief overview of some of the innovative ways that video is being utilized in today's financial services institution.

The teller line

The teller line is still the destination of choice for 85 percent of customers who visit a branch. And it is the part of the branch where video is having its most obvious impact in the form of video tellers and video merchandising.

Video tellers. An example of this technology is a product called RemoteTeller Systems, made by Diebold Inc., Canton, Ohio. The system essentially takes the drive-up experience and adapts it for indoor use. As customers approach the teller line, they are presented with "customer terminals" in lieu of traditional teller windows. These terminals include a video screen, speakers, a telephone handset and a pneumatic tube. As customers approach the terminal, the video screen instructs them to load their transaction materials into the tube (with reminders on basic procedures, such as signing checks and providing identification). As customers hit the "send" button, the video screen content turns to news, infotainment and bank marketing messages. "By keeping all the customer terminals open all the time and entertaining the customers as they wait for a teller, perceived wait time is significantly reduced," says Randy Benore, director of product management and planning for physical security at Diebold. "Wait time content can be customized to the branch level, allowing marketing messages to specifically address the needs of customers using that branch."

When a teller is available to take the customer's transaction, his or her live video image appears on the screen and the teller's voice is piped through the speakers. The teller may choose to stay on the screen throughout the transaction or to change the screen over to wait-time messaging while he or she performs noncustomer-facing portions of the transaction, such as checking identification or conferring with another associate. The teller can see the customer at all times during the transaction. If there is a need for additional audio privacy, the teller may suggest that the customer use the telephone handset located on the terminal. At transaction conclusion, the teller will send the tube back to the customer terminal and ensure that the customer is satisfied with the transaction. As soon as the customer departs, the terminal returns to running the introductory video on the screen.

Banks adopt video-teller technology for three basic reasons: security, efficiency and cost control, according to Dan McIntyre, senior product manager for physical security at Diebold. "In the case of security, RemoteTeller eliminates the need for bullet-proof-glass...