PRIVACY WAS THE PRIORITY
General Electric Credit Union (GECU), based in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs) across its branch network. In lobbies with high vaulted ceilings and extensive glass, conversations between members and remote tellers could echo throughout the space, creating challenges for both noise management and privacy.
Today, Holosonics Audio Spotlight directional speakers are installed at six GECU branches across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. What began as a pilot at one branch has become a standard feature in GECU’s approach to ITM design.
For GECU, the challenge went beyond managing sound levels. The credit union wanted members to feel comfortable discussing their banking needs at an ITM, with privacy supported by both the machines’ security features and the way conversations were heard in the lobby. Directional audio was the first and only solution GECU considered.
A PILOT THAT BUILT CONFIDENCE
GECU began with a pilot at a branch with two ITMs in the lobby. Over several days, staff asked members about their experience, gathering feedback on the sound and the sense of privacy provided by the speakers.
The team also demonstrated how the technology worked. Members were invited to take a few steps to either side while speaking with a remote teller, hearing the teller’s voice fade in and out as they moved through the focused beam of sound.
“Being able to demonstrate the technology firsthand helped members understand how it works and how it can support greater privacy during their sessions,” said Van Williams, ITM Operations Manager at GECU.
The feedback gave GECU the confidence to expand the solution.
PRODUCT USED:
AUDIO SPOTLIGHT AS-168iX
Side-by-side ITMs at the first GECU branch
“Privacy was our primary concern. We wanted to reinforce that sense of privacy for members, not only through our security features but also through the audio experience.”
-Van Williams, ITM Operations Manager at General Electric Credit Union
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING ITMs
Integrating Audio Spotlight into GECU’s existing ITMs was straightforward. The credit union’s ITM vendor connected the team with a hardware engineer, and within a couple of days, they had developed the harness needed for the installation.
“The integration process was straightforward, and we were able to develop what we needed to connect the speakers to our ITMs within just a few days,” Williams said.
AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN MEMBER BEHAVIOR
Staff were enthusiastic about the technology from the beginning, and members quickly adapted to the new experience. Many noticed the discreet, flush-mounted speakers overhead and thought the technology was “really neat.”
GECU also observed an unexpected benefit: members began using the ITM handsets much less frequently.
With less reliance on shared handsets, staff had less cleaning to do, and members had fewer concerns about germs left by previous users. The change reinforced the practical benefits of a solution that supports privacy while making the ITM experience more convenient.
DESIGNING BRANCHES AROUND DIRECTIONAL AUDIO
Following the successful pilot, GECU expanded Audio Spotlight to six branches: Dent, Fairfield, Loveland, Montgomery and Oakley, Ohio, and Highland Heights, Kentucky.
Integrating the speakers into the physical branch design has become an important consideration. At GECU’s newest branch, the ceilings were too high for a standard installation. Rather than abandon the solution, the team adapted the lobby design, adding a soffit above the ITMs where the speakers could be flush-mounted.
The result is a clean installation in which only the speakers are visible.
GECU is also working on a retrofit solution for older branches without soffits. Looking ahead, every new GECU branch will include Audio Spotlight, with a branch currently in the planning stage set to be designed around the speakers from the start.
A RECOMMENDATION TO OTHER CREDIT UNIONS
GECU’s experience has also prompted Williams to share the solution with peers. At a recent ITM conference, he met representatives from an Arizona credit union whose breakout sessions repeatedly returned to the challenges of sound and privacy at ITMs. Williams recommended that they connect with Holosonics.
“Traditional speakers distribute sound throughout the lobby, which can become a challenge when several ITMs are in use... Audio Spotlight focuses sound where it’s needed, allowing members to hear their tellers without broadcasting the conversation throughout the surrounding space.”
For GECU, directional audio has become an important part of its approach to a more private, comfortable ITM experience. With plans to incorporate the technology into all future branches, the credit union sees it as a lasting component of its branch design.
Interested in improving privacy at your ITMs? Request a free Audio Spotlight speaker loan to experience directional audio in your own environment.