NCR to unveil APTRA solution for appointments at self-service terminals during BAI's RD
November 13, 2008
DAYTON, Ohio — NCR Corp. is launching its NCR APTRA Self-Scheduler multichannel booking solution for financial institutions Nov. 18-19 during the BAI Retail Delivery Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. According to a news release, NCR APTRA Self-Scheduler enables consumers to book appointments with the bank's sales consultants using multiple channels, including the Internet, a mobile device or a self-service terminal. The 24-hour system ensures that once an appointment is booked it can be confirmed immediately through an SMS reminder to a cell phone, through e-mail or via text-to-speech. Trials of the new NCR solution with a major U.S. bank have demonstrated its popularity with customers and staff, NCR says. Text message reminders can reduce these missed appointments by up to a third, as customers are less likely to forget about the meeting and more likely to reschedule if they have a conflict.
"By providing an instant, real-time view of which specialists are available, and registering any cancellations immediately, banks can improve the customer experience — letting customers book time with their branch in a convenient, empowered manner even after the branch or call center has closed," said Brian Bailey, NCR's vice president of financial industry marketing. Banks also can deploy NCR APTRA Self-Scheduler on kiosks in their branches, enabling "walk-in" customers or prospective customers to make appointments.
The solution features a rules engine, which is used to define the hours advisors are available in each location, their areas of expertise and the locations they work from, providing an overview of current capacity levels.