Banking

How a Mid-Size Credit Union Gave 137,000 Members the Power to Schedule and Lifted Branch Profitability

A mid-size U.S. credit union deployed Frontlion's in-person service platform across all 17 branches in about two months. Members now book ahead, check in by QR or kiosk, and wait anywhere — while dedicated appointment time lifted cross-sell and branch profitability.

  • 17

    Branches live in ~2 months

  • 137K+

    Members served

  • 2K

    Branch visits per week

  • 500+

    Staff trained

  • <15

    Days to pilot first two branches

What Leaders Say

Our representatives like the ease of this queue management system. Using [Frontlion] helps them gauge what's going on every day, rather than being surprised. Plus, we've also seen an increase in profitability since implementing appointment scheduling: with an hour of time blocked off for each member, team members have more time to cross-sell during the appointment.

Branch Operations Specialist, Mid-size U.S. Credit Union

Who They Are

Customer Snapshot

The customer is a mid-size U.S. credit union serving more than 137,000 members across 17 branches in a major metropolitan area. Like most credit unions, its value proposition rests on member relationships and high-touch, in-person service: account openings, lending, notary services, and member consultations handled at the branch.

Branch volume runs to roughly 2,000 member visits a week, and member loyalty is strong, which made the quality of the in-branch experience a priority worth protecting.

Members 137,000+
Branches 17 locations
Market Major metropolitan area
Weekly Visits ~2,000
Key Services Account opening · Lending · Notary · Consultations

The Problem

The Challenge

The credit union’s members valued the institution, but the branch experience carried real friction. There was no way for a member to book ahead. Opening an account, applying for a loan, or handling a notary meant walking in and hoping for a short wait. On busy days the lobby filled up and the wait was unpredictable, and staff could not give a reliable estimate because they did not have the data to produce one.

Check-in compounded the problem. A single lobby kiosk was the only way to join the line: a member typed in a name and waited to be called. During the pandemic, that single high-touch device became a hygiene concern on top of being a bottleneck, with no contactless alternative.

Operationally, branches were working blind. If fifteen members arrived needing loans and only one lending representative was on shift, that was both a frustrating member experience and a missed revenue opportunity, and leadership had no demand data to staff against. The credit union needed a way to let members book ahead, give them transparency into wait times, relieve lobby congestion, and give branch managers the data to staff to real demand rather than guesswork.

  • No appointment scheduling — walk-in only, unpredictable waits
  • Single shared lobby kiosk — hygiene risk, no contactless alternative
  • Zero real-time demand visibility — managers staffing by guesswork
  • Rushed transactions — no dedicated appointment time for cross-sell

The Decision

Why Frontlion?

The credit union needed a platform that could go live consistently across all 17 branches and be adopted quickly by a workforce of roughly 500 — not a single-branch experiment. Three requirements drove the decision:

Appointment + Virtual Queue in One System

Booked visits and walk-ins managed together in a single flow — no split system, no double-booking.

Multiple Contactless Check-In Options

QR code, kiosk, and mobile — replacing the single shared device and meeting members on their preferred path.

Real-Time + Historical Demand Visibility

Branch and regional managers see demand by type, time, teller, and branch — staffing decisions become data-driven, not reactive.

Hands-On Support & Phased Rollout

Low-risk deployment with pilot branches first — teams had real sandbox experience before network-wide go-live.

How It Works

The Solution

Frontlion deployed its in-person service platform across all 17 branches, giving the credit union one consistent way to manage in-person member service and giving members several easy ways to be seen.

Deployment

How the Rollout Worked

1

Pilot: First Two Branches

Live in under 15 days. Sandbox training let staff role-play as both member and representative before go-live.

2

Full Network Rollout

All 17 branches live over approximately two months. ~500 staff trained. Later branches onboarded faster.

3

Member Adoption Drive

Website, mobile ads, newsletter, and register receipts. Adoption ran ahead of expectations — including among older members.

Impact

Operational Challenges Solved & Results

The headline operational change: the credit union stopped running branches on guesswork and started running them on data. Service demand is now visible by type, time, teller, and branch — managers staff to the numbers rather than reacting after the lobby fills.

Branch Profitability

Increase reported, driven by cross-sell during dedicated hour-long appointment time per member.

17 branches

Network Standardized

One consistent member experience across all 17 branches — no single-location experiments left behind.

<15 days

Pilot Speed

First two branches live without disrupting daily member service — proof the platform can move fast.

Freed From Lobby

Members now wait in the car, run an errand, or grab a coffee — then return when called.

Data-Driven Staffing

Demand visible by service, time of day, teller, and branch — reactive guesswork eliminated.

Adoption Exceeded Expectations

QR + kiosk + text gave every member a comfortable path — including older members, the credit union's biggest worry.