Tele-Banking Communicator — Overview
Tele-Banking Systems are focal point, communications facilities, collectively called the “TTI Tele-Banking Center”, which are used inside bank branches, 24 hour banking sites, in branch vestibules and annexes, as well as a wide range of non-staffed and minimally staffed, remote banking sites, e.g., supermarkets, air/train/bus terminals, corporate/institutional workplaces, hospitals, colleges and universities.
The Systems play an integral role in accomplishing priority objectives relative to the new and now current era of retail banking. I.e., they provide banks with a highly effective means of significantly cutting retail operating costs, while simultaneously expanding their customer service and product marketing presence beyond the traditional bank branches, and banking hours.
Additionally, the Systems enable banks to market and support such non-traditional banking products as stocks and bonds, insurance, leasing, travel brokerage and consumer buying services — without staffing their banking sites with specialists to support these products and services.
The Tele-Banking Center enables banks to provide their customers with one-on-one, personal banking services, which are similar to, but significantly broader in scope and more focused on current banking objectives than, that which for decades has been provided by customer assistance personnel in traditional bank branches. E.g., assisting customers in opening new accounts; applying for loans and credit lines; providing information and maintenance pertaining to customers’ existing accounts; handling customer inquiries pertaining to specialized banking and investment products; making referrals to, or arranging appointments with, appropriate specialists.
In contrast to traditional, in-branch operations (typically staffed with fewer than five customer assistance representatives), the Tele-Banking Center, by means of its internal database and software routing capabilities, forms a bank-wide human resource network of personnel from the bank’s various customer assistance departments, divisions and associate entities. E.g., centralized customer service and marketing departments, as well as such specialized departments and groups as mortgage, business banking, student loans, pensions, stocks and bonds, credit cards, insurance, leasing, travel brokerage and buying services.
The Tele-Banking Center, upon receiving the customer’s new product or customer service inquiry (see Operating Characteristics below), automatically establishes a voice communications link with the appropriate department and the skill level group within the department, which is best suited to handle the customer’s specific inquiry.
Operating Characteristics As Used by Banks’ Customers
The Tele-Banking Center consists of various styles of ergonomically designed and vandal resistant kiosks, surrounds, pedestals, counters, wall-mounted enclosures, and display panels, and are sold as “turn-key” systems. The Tele-Banking Center's integrated, back-lit display panels prominently and self-evidently provide the following:
• Attraction Display/Header —The Bank's name, logo and the identity assigned to the Tele-Banking program.
• Function and/or Promotional Display — Promotes the Tele-Banking Center's purpose
• Call Directories — A complete listing of the financial institution’s products and services and other value added co-opted services.
