Benton County Turns Counter Calls into Real-Time Signals with UNO-Q | Wavetec’s Linear Queuing Solution

Executive Summary

How do you help visitors know, at a glance, when it is their turn at a public service counter, and which counter is open?

For Benton County, this was the question behind a new counter-service deployment built around Wavetec’s UNO-Q linear queuing solution. The County wanted a more connected and responsive experience at its service counters, where visitors can see clear, real-time signals instead of relying only on verbal calls or manual direction from staff.

Wavetec connected three in-house technologies into one counter-level flow: UNO-Q for electronic call-forwarding, Donatello digital signage with integrated counter-level notifications, and Wavetec acrylic counter lights. When staff call a customer, the Donatello display shows a real-time notification for that counter and the counter light illuminates. When a counter closes, the light switches to red.

The result is a service area where the queue, the display and the service point work as one system. The deployment also creates a foundation for further digitalisation. The call and counter activity UNO-Q manages can feed Wavetec’s Spectra analytics, and, with sufficient historical data, Spectra 2.0’s forecasting and simulation capabilities could help the County anticipate busy periods and plan counter staffing before queues form.

Wavetec combines global capability with local delivery. It operates from 11 offices, and has deployments across 30+ US states, all Canadian provinces and more than 80 countries. 

The Challenge: Making Counter Status Visible

In a single-line service area, customers physically wait in a line and are served when a counter becomes free. This is simple and fair, but it depends on one thing working well: visitors need to know when it is their turn and which counter to approach.

Without a connected system, that information is usually delivered by voice or by a staff member pointing the way. This can create several points of friction. Visitors may miss a verbal call, approach a counter that is not open, or hesitate because they are not sure the call was meant for them.

The challenge was therefore not only about moving people through a queue. It was about connecting three things in real time: the queue, the information displayed to visitors, and the status of each counter.

This matters beyond convenience.

Forrester’s 2026 US Customer Experience Index, based on a survey of 95,573 respondents, found that the average US federal CX score fell 2.5 points, from 61.9 in 2025 to 59.4 in 2026. The federal government was one of only three of the 12 sectors studied to decline, while the private-sector average improved, widening the gap. Among the four most influential drivers of federal CX, Forrester lists frontline service factors such as agency employees answering all of a customer’s questions and problems being resolved quickly.

The Solution: UNO-Q, Donatello and Counter Lights Working Together

Wavetec deployed UNO-Q, its plug-and-play, ticketless electronic call-forwarding solution, and integrated it with Donatello digital signage and acrylic counter lights. The deployment is built on a single, connected flow between counter activity and the information shown to visitors.

The deployment brings together:

•       UNO-Q: a call-forward queuing solution in which customers wait in one line and are called to the next available counter on a first come, first served basis.

•       Donatello digital signage with counter-level notifications: configured to show real-time notifications for each incoming call at each counter.

•       Acrylic counter lights: programmed to respond to service activity at each counter.

UNO-Q is designed to work with Donatello. Wavetec describes UNO-Q as powered by the Donatello digital signage player, which means the same display that shows queue information can also carry dynamic content. For Benton County, UNO-Q was successfully configured with Donatello so that call events at the counter drive what visitors see on screen.

This is the full-stack approach in practice: in-house queuing software, in-house digital signage and in-house connected hardware, delivered and supported by one vendor rather than stitched together from several.

How Does the Benton County Counter Journey Work?

So, what does the experience look like from the visitor’s perspective?

1. The visitor joins the line

UNO-Q is ticketless. Visitors join a single physical line and wait for their turn, with no kiosk or ticket step to navigate.

2. A counter becomes available

When staff are ready to serve the next person, they call the next customer through UNO-Q. The system distributes customers across counters on a first come, first served basis.

3. The call appears on the Donatello display

Donatello shows a real-time notification for the incoming call at the relevant counter. The visitor can see that they are being called and where to go, rather than relying only on a spoken announcement.

4. The counter light confirms the service point

The acrylic light at the counter illuminates when a customer is called, giving a visual cue at the point of service that connects the queue to the right counter.

5. Closed counters are clearly signalled

When a counter is closed, its light switches to red. Visitors get an immediate indication of availability without needing to ask or guess.

6. The visitor is served

The visitor reaches the right counter and receives the service they came for.

From the visitor’s perspective, the technology stays in the background. They simply see where to go.

That is exactly the point. A well-designed queuing system should not make a public-service visit feel more technical. It should make it feel easier.

Results and What This Means for the County

What the deployment delivers today is a more connected counter environment: calls, notifications and counter status are tied together so that visitors have clear, real-time information at each service point.

Wavetec reports that UNO-Q linear queuing can improve queue flow by up to 30%, reduce walk-aways by up to 80% and help serve up to 30% more customers per hour. 

What this means	In practice
For visitors	Visible, real-time cues for calls and counter status, in addition to spoken communication.
For counter staff	One system to call customers and signal counter status, instead of manual direction.
For the County	A foundation of queue and counter data that can feed analytics and, later, forecasting.

From Managing Today’s Counters to Planning Tomorrow’s Demand

This is where the opportunity for Benton County extends beyond the current deployment.

UNO-Q can tell the County what is happening now. It also records average serving time, teller efficiency and peak foot-traffic hours. But what if that data could also help answer:

•       Which days and hours are likely to be busiest next month?
•       Are the counters we open at peak times enough?
•       What happens to waiting times if visitor numbers rise by 20%?
•       Would opening one more counter during a specific period improve the visitor experience?

These are the types of questions that can be explored through Spectra 2.0’s forecasting and simulation capabilities. Wavetec’s Spectra platform already provides real-time and historical reporting on customer journeys and service performance. Its newer forecasting and simulation capabilities extend this from analysing past activity to predicting future demand and modelling staffing or counter scenarios before busy periods arrive.

For a county, where demand often follows predictable cycles, this could help match counter staffing to expected visitor volumes. This is an opportunity the County could explore with sufficient historical data; it is not part of the current deployment.

Why Wavetec?

The Benton County deployment illustrates Wavetec’s innovation-first approach to customer experience technology: using technology not only to manage queues, but to connect different parts of the visitor journey and provide clearer information throughout the service experience.

Wavetec owns the full stack. The queuing software (UNO-Q), the digital signage platform (Donatello) and the counter hardware are all built in-house, and Wavetec delivers and supports the deployment. That is what allows call events at a counter to drive both the on-screen notification and the counter light in one connected flow.

Wavetec combines global capability with local delivery. It operates from 11 offices, and has deployments across 30+ US states, all Canadian provinces and more than 80 countries. 

Benton County also joins an established group of Wavetec government customers in the US. This includes Schenectady County Department of Social Services, San Diego County Planning & Development Services, Clackamas County Courthouse and Hennepin County

Together, these deployments show how Wavetec’s queue management technologies can be adapted to different public-service environments, from visitor check-in and ticketing to digital signage, counter displays and real-time service notifications.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Wavetec implement for Benton County?

Wavetec deployed UNO-Q, its linear call-forward queuing solution, integrated with Donatello digital signage and acrylic counter lights. Donatello displays real-time notifications for incoming calls at each counter, and the counter lights illuminate when a customer is called and switch to red when a counter is closed.

What is UNO-Q linear queuing?

UNO-Q is a plug-and-play, ticketless electronic call-forwarding system. Customers wait in a single physical line and are called to the next available counter on a first come, first served basis, with audio and visual alerts. It supports up to 16 counters, or 32 in cascading mode.

How do visitors know when it is their turn?

When a customer is called, the Donatello display shows a real-time notification for that counter and the acrylic light at the counter illuminates. Visitors do not have to rely only on a spoken announcement or manual direction from staff.

How do visitors know a counter is closed?

The acrylic counter light switches to red when the counter is closed, giving an immediate visual indication of availability.

Does UNO-Q work with digital signage?

Yes. UNO-Q is powered by the Donatello digital signage player, so queue information and dynamic content can share the same display. In Benton County, UNO-Q was configured with Donatello to show real-time call notifications at each counter.

Which other US government bodies use Wavetec?

Wavetec’s US public-sector customers include but are not limited to; Schenectady County Department of Social Services, San Diego County Planning & Development Services, Clackamas County Courthouse and Hennepin County.