Communication system

Abstract

 The application describes a staff communication system for alerting a receptionist as to when they are needed by one of a plurality of cashiers, comprising a switch provided at each customer service position, a cashier identification means provided at the receptionist's position and a control means to which both the switch and the identification means are linked, arranged to indicate to the receptionist via the cashier identification means which of the cashiers has requested assistance by activating the switch. Preferably, the cashier identification means also indicates the order in which the identified cashiers have requested assistance. This allows the receptionist to deal with customers on a "first come first served" basis. Further preferred features include a reset switch for the receptionist, which removes from the cashier identification means the first indicated cashier to have requested assistance and an indicator at the cashier point to confirm that the cashiers request has been passed to the receptionist. The indicator, which can be a light, preferably changes state after the reset switch has been operated by the receptionist, thereby to confirm to the cashier that the receptionist is on the way. Through the invention, cashiers presented with an unusual customer request can summon the receptionist, who can visit the customer side of the service position and personally escort the customer back to the reception desk.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system. It particularly, but not exclusively, relates to a communication system for summoning a receptionist to one of a number of cashiers who need the assistance of a receptionist. While not restricted to such use, the invention is of particular advantage in banks and retail outlets having a plurality of check-out positions.

[0002] In this specification, the term "cashier" is intended to apply generally to a member of staff manning a customer service position. Equally, the term "receptionist" is intended to refer to any member of staff to whom it is expected that cashiers will direct queries or unusual customer requests in the first instance. In banks and similar retail outlets there are often a number of cashiers but only a single enquiry point, manned by a receptionist. It has long been a problem that some customers visit the cashier for an enquiry that is more appropriate to the receptionist.

[0003] For example, in a bank, customers may wish to open a new account, close an account, notify change of address, or obtain foreign currency. All of these requests would normally be dealt with by the receptionist. Banks do not wish to ask customers to walk to another desk, because the customer may not be able to find it in a large branch, and may also feel that they are being fobbed off. The use of telephones has been tried, but a telephone call is relatively time consuming and the telephone system is expensive to install and takes up a disproportionably large portion of the staff member's desk or work station.

[0004] Hitherto, when presented with this problem, cashiers have had to close their customer service point, walk to the customer side of the service point, and escort the customer to the receptionist. They must then return to the staff side of the service point and re-open. This is extremely time consuming and hence frustrating for the cashier and other waiting customers. It will be appreciated that in a bank or similar institution, although the physical distance between the cashier and the customer is relatively small, security precautions can result in the journey from one to the other being disproportionately long.

[0005] The present invention therefore provides a staff communication system for alerting a receptionist as to when they are needed by one of a plurality of cashiers, comprising;

a switch provided at each customer service position;

a cashier identification means provided at the receptionist's position; and

a control means to which both the switch and the identification means are linked, arranged to indicate to the receptionist via the cashier identification means which of the cashiers has requested assistance by activating the switch.

[0006] Preferably, the cashier identification means also indicates the order in which the identified cashiers have requested assistance. This ensures that the receptionist is able to deal with customers on a "first come first served" basis.

[0007] Preferably, there will be a reset switch for the receptionist, which removes from the cashier identification means the first indicated cashier to have requested assistance.

[0008] Preferably, there will be an indicator at the cashier point to confirm that the cashiers request has been passed to the receptionist. More preferably, the indicator changes state after the reset switch has been operated by the receptionist, thereby to confirm to the cashier that the receptionist is on the way. Even more preferably, the indicator is capable of informing the cashier when there are no other cashiers earlier in the queue. Such an indicator could be a simple light.

[0009] Thus, through the present invention, cashiers presented with an unusual customer request can summon the receptionist, who can visit the customer side of the service position and personally escort the customer back to the reception desk. The customer's request can then be dealt with. The customer service position is blocked for the minimum period of time, and is made newly available as soon as possible, whilst the customer can be continuously attended to and the highest level of service provided.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a bank in which the present invention is shown installed;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus according to the present invention placed at the cashier point;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus of the invention placed at the receptionists point; and

Figures 4a to 4e are diagrammatic representations of the information displayed on the apparatus of Figure 3 during a hypothetical example.

[0011] The following description is made for convenience in the context of control of customers approaching the cashiers till position in a bank, but as will be apparent the system could be utilised in other situations where individuals are dealt with one at a time by a number of operatives at different positions.

[0012] Figure 1 shows a total of eight cashier till positions 1 to 8. In front of the cashier till positions is a barrier 20 which serves to channel customers towards the till positions in a reasonable orderly fashion. At each till position is a call point, for example that shown as 22 at till position 1. Each call point is connected by cabling 24 to a control box 26.

[0013] Separate from the cashier positions 1 to 8 is a receptionist point 28. The receptionist would normally deal with enquiries and unusual requests. On the desk of the receptionist point 28 is a summon box 30 connected to the control box 26 by cabling 32.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the call box 22 in more detail. There is a single push button 34 designated "call", and an indicator light 36, shown illuminated.

[0015] Figure 3 shows the summon box 28 in more detail. It can be seen that there are a plurality of (in this case four) numeric indicators 38, a push button 40 designated "CANC", for cancel, and a small grille 42 behind which is placed a buzzer.

[0016] Figures 4a to 4e show a typical sequence of displays of the numeric indicators 38 and will be described in conjunction with a sample scenario for the bank of Figure 1.

[0017] In this hypothetical example, there is a steady stream of customers to the cashier points 1 to 8. The customer at cashier 6, however, requires the assistance of the receptionist at the desk 28. Cashier 6 therefore presses the "call" button 34. The control unit 26 then causes the indicator light 36 to illuminate, thereby informing cashier 6 that the request has been noted. Cashier 6 is the only cashier seeking assistance at that time, and accordingly the light 36 flashes to indicate that the receptionist will visit cashier 6 first. At the same time, the left most numeric indicator 38 begins to flash with the number 6, as shown in Figure 4a, and the buzzer 42 activates briefly to attract the receptionist's attention.

[0018] Soon after, cashier 4 begins to serve a customer with a similar request. Cashier 4 presses the corresponding call button 34, and the control unit 26 causes the associated indicator 36 at cashier 4 to illuminate. At the same time, the second numeric indicator 38 illuminates with the number 4, as shown in Figure 4b, and the buzzer sounds again. Number 6 continues flashing, because the receptionist has not yet attended to the customer at cashier 6. The number 4 does not flash, nor does the indicator light 36 at cashier 4, and therefore the position of the number 6 in the left most position and its flashing state indicates to the receptionist that the first customer in need is at cashier point 6.

[0019] The receptionist presses the cancel button 40 just before she walks to cashier 6 to attend to that customer. Once the cancel button 40 has been pressed, the flashing number 6 from the numeric displays 38 disappears, and the number 4 moves into the left most position and begins flashing. At the same time, the indicator light 36 at cashier 6 extinguishes, to inform that cashier that the receptionist is on the way, and indicator light 36 at cashier 4 begins to flash. The receptionist then walks to cashier number 6, collects the customer and brings him/her back to the reception desk 28 to deal with their query.

[0020] Whilst the query is being dealt with, customers arrive at cashier points 3 and 1 with queries that need to be dealt with by the receptionist. These cashiers accordingly press their call buttons 34, and the respective numbers are illuminated in the numeric displays 38 in the order in which the buttons are pressed. The display is then in the state shown in Figure 4c.

[0021] Once the first customer request has been dealt with, the receptionist notes the flashing number 4 and presses the cancel button. Again, the indicator light 36 at cashier point number 4 extinguishes to inform the cashier and receptionist that help is forthcoming. Indicator light 36 at cashier 3 begins to flash, to indicate to cashier 3 that he/she is next in line.

[0022] The process continues in this fashion until all outstanding customer requests have been dealt with. The numeric displays 38 are at the state shown in Figure 4d and 4e whilst the successive customer requests are being dealt with. Each time a cashier presses their call button 34, the receptionist is alerted to the presence of an additional outstanding customer by an alert noise produced by the buzzer 42. At all times however, in this embodiment, the customer who has been waiting longest is indicated by the number of their cashier point being at the left most position and flashing.

[0023] It will be appreciated that many variations can be made to the above embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, the invention is not limited to a single receptionist and could easily be adapted to a plurality of receptionists, for example in particularly busy branches. The control unit 26 might allocate incoming customers to each successive receptionist in turn. The numeric displays 38 for each receptionist could indicate only the customers allocated to that receptionist, but will preferably indicate all outstanding customers with the next customer allocated to that receptionist flashing. Equally, whilst the described embodiment refers to eight cashiers, the system is equally applicable to more or less cashiers.

Claims

1. A staff communication system for alerting a receptionist as to when they are needed by one of a plurality of cashiers, comprising;

a switch provided at each customer service position;

a cashier identification means provided at the receptionist's position; and

a control means to which both the switch and the identification means are linked, arranged to indicate to the receptionist via the cashier identification means which of the cashiers has requested assistance by activating the switch.

2. A staff communication system according to claim 1 wherein the cashier identification means also indicates the order in which the identified cashiers have requested assistance.

3. A staff communication system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there is a reset switch for the receptionist, which removes from the cashier identification means the first indicated cashier to have requested assistance.

4. A staff communication system according to any preceeding claim wherein there is an indicator at the cashier point to confirm that the cashiers request has been passed to the receptionist.

5. A staff communication system according to any preceeding claim wherein the indicator changes state after the reset switch has been operated by the receptionist.

6. A staff communication system according to any preceeding claim wherein the indicator is capable of informing the cashier when there are no other cashiers earlier in the queue.

7. A staff communication system according to any preceeding claim wherein the indicator is a light.

8. A staff communication system substantially as herein described and/or as shown in the accompanying figures.

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