University at Buffalo one-stop centers revolutionize student services with WaitWell

About the project

Making student services easier and more student-focused at UB’s one-stop centers.

The University at Buffalo’s One Capen and One Diefendorf service centers handle high volumes of students seeking essential services such as financial aid, student accounts, and UB card distribution. Prior to implementing WaitWell, these centers faced challenges including long wait times, overcrowding, and inefficient communication processes between departments. In July 2023, UB implemented WaitWell’s digital queue management system to address these issues and deliver a seamless service experience to students.

“From a student experience perspective, having data and a ticket history for the staff to work off of helps us tremendously. Running reports that quantitatively show which services are utilized most allows both one-stop staff and stakeholder customer service staff to view completed tickets, improving communication with the campus community.”

Jennifer Vick
Director, One Capen and One Diefendorf, University at Buffalo

Overview

UB’s one-stop service centers faced challenges of long wait times, overcrowding, and outdated communication systems, which impacted both student satisfaction and operational efficiency. To resolve these issues, UB adopted WaitWell, a digital queue management system that allows students to join queues remotely or on-site and receive real-time updates on wait times.

WaitWell’s flexibility eliminated the need for students to physically wait in lines, reducing congestion and creating a more pleasant service environment. Additionally, the system streamlined operations for staff by automating notifications, improving inter-department communication, and providing data insights to optimize resource allocation.

“We heavily rely on WaitWell’s features to help us queue our customers and ensure they are in the right space and with the right department.”

Jennifer Vick
Director, One Capen and One Diefendorf, University at Buffalo

Challenge

Managing high student volumes and overcoming operational inefficiencies

During peak periods, the one-stop centers experienced long queues, with students waiting up to four hours for services like UB card distribution. These long wait times led to frustration among students and inefficiencies for staff, who struggled to balance in-person inquiries and back-office tasks. The rigid legacy system further compounded these challenges, as any changes required IT intervention, delaying responses.

The pandemic also highlighted the need for remote service options, which the legacy system couldn’t accommodate without costly upgrades. These challenges underscored the need for a more flexible and student-centered solution.

“The most utilized feature I have is the dashboard function. On a daily basis, I go to the dashboard to get a quick overview of the entire center for the day. It allows me to see the traffic at both locations when I’m physically at one center versus the other.”

Jennifer Vick
Director, One Capen and One Diefendorf, University at Buffalo

Solution

Improving student satisfaction and operational efficiency with WaitWell

UB implemented WaitWell to address its service challenges. The system allowed students to join queues via kiosks or remotely through a QR code, enabling them to wait wherever convenient and reducing physical lineups. WaitWell provided real-time updates to students and staff, creating a transparent and efficient queuing process.

For staff, the integration of WaitWell with Microsoft Teams facilitated better communication between front-line workers and back-office teams, enabling faster issue resolution. The system’s dashboards and reporting features empowered administrators with data to make informed decisions and adjust resources during peak periods.

Results

Enhanced student satisfaction and operational efficiency

The adoption of WaitWell has yielded significant benefits for UB:

• Better experience for students: Students can now wait remotely and are notified when it’s their turn, significantly decreasing in-person congestion.
• Faster issue resolution: Staff can focus on resolving student inquiries efficiently, aided by real-time communication tools.
• Data-driven insights: Dashboards and reports have improved resource allocation and operational planning.
• Improved student experience: The ability to wait remotely and receive timely updates has created a more student-friendly environment.