Montana Credit Union's Response to COVID-19
May 13, 2020
Due to the critical nature of our business, it is essential that we maintain a safe work environment and keep our staff healthy so that we can continue to meet your financial needs. In return, you can have a high level of confidence that we will be here to ensure access to your money and critical financial services as you need them. Because of this, we have made the decision to keep our lobbies closed to the public for the time being. It is our hope that by limiting public traffic in and out of our buildings, it will lessen the risk of the virus resurging and impacting our staff, our members, and the community at large. We will revisit this decision weekly, and keep you updated accordingly.
Rest assured that while our lobbies remain closed, we are still open to help you. In addition to drive up service available at all 3 offices, our support center, member service representatives, and loan officers are just a phone call away to help with all of your financial needs. In most instances, we can reissue compromised debit and credit cards on the spot. Our consumer loan and real estate lenders can help discuss options with you for purchasing a new car, refinancing your mortgage, or consolidating debt. We can disburse cashier’s checks for you from our 9th Street drive up. And we continue to offer up to 3 months of fee-free skipped payments on your consumer loans, and can also discuss options with you regarding payment relief on real estate loans. This is a stressful time, and we want you to know that even in times of uncertainty, you can continue to trust and rely on Montana Credit Union to guide you ahead.
I would like to thank our employees for adapting to this temporary way of business for us. From cross-training to help with our Personal Teller Machines to helping answer phone lines, every one of our employees has been willing to help where needed to ensure that our member service levels do not suffer just because our front doors are closed. I am thankful for them, and continue to be impressed with their commitment to member service.
We hope this message finds you healthy and well. During this time, we remain committed to supporting our members and our community. We thank you for your business, and the trust you place in Montana Credit Union.
Sincerely,
Steve King
President/CEO
April 28, 2020
With Governor Bullock's recent announcement of his Reopening the Big Sky plan, we wanted to reach out and let you know what our plan is for getting back to normal. Please know that our management team and board of directors have been discussing our operations plan regularly, and plan to revisit any decision made weekly as many things seem to be changing daily. Our chief concern in all decision making is that of our community and our employees’ health and safety.
When we do make the decision to reopen our lobbies, rest assured that we have been working behind the scenes to ensure our lobbies and offices are safer for staff and member interaction. We are installing “sneeze guards” at teller stations and in our member services representatives and loan officers’ offices, and we have installed alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations in public areas of our lobbies. In addition, we continue to discuss and implement procedures for regular sanitizing of high touch surfaces and public areas, and how best to direct traffic flow in our offices so that we maintain safe social distancing guidelines.
At this time, we will continue to serve our members through our drive ups, over the phone and by limited appointments for specific services in our offices. In addition, please remember that you can conduct most of your business with us through our website and our mobile app, such as checking your account balances, paying bills, submitting loan applications, and depositing checks. If you have not yet used our online and mobile services, our staff is available to help you sign up and navigate these services by phone at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242.
As indicated in previous communications, we are postponing member events scheduled for this spring, including our shred day (originally scheduled for May 1), and our annual meeting (originally scheduled for May 21). We hope to reschedule these events in the fall, and will keep you updated as soon as we have more details firmed up.
We look forward to the day when we can reopen our lobbies fully and safely, but until that time you can trust that we are here for you even when we are apart. We appreciate your membership and your flexibility during this very uncertain time.
Sincerely,
Steve King
President/CEO
April 1, 2020
Dear Montana Credit Union members,
We wanted you to be the first to know that we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year's Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Day, originally scheduled for May 21, 2020. The NCUA has been gracious in extending deadlines for annual meetings for credit unions, and we will reschedule ours when it is safe to do so.
Please know that throughout all of this, your funds at Montana Credit Union continue to be federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). We want to reassure you that your credit union is still the safest place for your money, and regardless of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, you will still have access to your funds.
We are thankful to have the tools in place so that the majority of our business can be conducted online, over the phone or via email, and we are here to help you through this stressful time. We will continue to post updates to our website and Facebook page. Should you need to reach us, please don’t hesitate to call us at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242 .
We appreciate your continued trust in Montana Credit Union.
Sincerely,
Steven E. King
President/CEO
Cheryl Patton
Chairman of the Board of Directors
March 27, 2020
Dear Montana Credit Union members,
First off, we wanted to reach out and let you know that Governor Bullock’s directive requiring Montanans to stay at home does not impact us operationally, as we are considered an essential service for the community. Our staff is doing all that we can to ensure both our members and fellow coworkers maintain social distancing standards and regular sanitizing of high touch surfaces, including our drive ups and PTMs, and individual workstations. We are extremely appreciative of all our staff has done these past couple weeks to ensure uninterrupted service to our members, while maintaining a healthy work environment for our colleagues!
Please know that throughout all of this, your funds at Montana Credit Union continue to be federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). We want to reassure you that your credit union is still the safest place for your money, and regardless of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, you will still have access to your funds.
We would like to thank you for your patience as we transition to providing member service through our drive ups, online and over the phone. This is a new way of doing business for us, and we appreciate your grace as we navigate these new waters. We are considered an essential service, and will be in business for you throughout this healthcare crisis.
In an effort to assist our members throughout this uncertain economic time, we are allowing members to skip up to three payments on their installment loans with no fee. You may skip your loan payment through [email protected] online banking (just click on Account Services in the menu at the top once you are logged in), or give us a call at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242 to speak with one of our employees. Skipped payments may be done one month at a time; should you find you need to skip additional months, please call us again. Interest on your loans will still accrue during the skipped month(s), and should you have any additional coverages on your loans, such as GAP protection, those may be impacted by the skipped payment(s). At this time, mortgages, lines of credit, promotional loans such as our 4-3-2-1 holiday loan, and Mastercard credit card loans are not eligible for Skip A Payment.
Our staff remains available by phone to resolve your member service needs. For specific instances such as a debit/credit card replacement, new accounts or time-sensitive notaries, we can schedule limited appointments for you to see our member services or loan staff. Please know that when you call to request an in-person appointment, we will ask you the following questions in order to protect the health of our staff – if you answer yes to any of these questions, we will not be able to see you for an appointment at that time:
- Have you traveled out of state or to another country in the last month that has any confirmed cases of COVID-19?
- Have you had any direct or close contact, within 6 feet, with anyone who has had contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is suspected to have contracted it?
- Do you have a fever or any of the following symptoms: a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing?
We are thankful to have the tools in place so that the majority of our business can be conducted online, over the phone or via email, and we are here to help you through this stressful time. We will continue to post updates to our website and Facebook page. Should you need to reach us, please don’t hesitate to call.
We appreciate your continued trust in Montana Credit Union.
Sincerely,
Steven E. King
President/CEO
March 26, 2020
In an effort to assist our members throughout this uncertain economic time, we are allowing members to skip up to three payments on their installment loans* with no fee.
You may skip your loan payment through [email protected] online banking (just click on Account Services in the menu at the top once you are logged in), or give us a call at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242 to speak with one of our employees. Skipped payments may be done one month at a time; should you find you need to skip additional months, please call us again. Interest on your loans will still accrue during the skipped month(s), and should you have any additional coverages on your loans, such as GAP protection, those may be impacted by the skipped payment(s).
At this time, mortgages, lines of credit, promotional loans such as our 4-3-2-1 holiday loan and Mastercard credit card loans are not eligible for Skip a Payment. If your loan is not listed as eligible and you have concerns about making payments, please call us.
March 17, 2020
Dear Montana Credit Union members,
At Montana Credit Union, we consider it our responsibility to take all necessary steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Although we have yet to see a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 in our community, we feel prudent precautions are necessary to help slow the spread of the virus.
As of Wednesday, March 18 at 5:00pm, our lobbies at all three of our offices will be closed until further notice. All services to our membership will still be available – we will just be conducting them in a little bit different manner. This is for your safety and convenience, as well as our employees’ safety. We will reevaluate this decision daily, and will commit to resuming normal business operations as soon as it is safe to do so. Our staff will continue to work behind closed doors to make sure back office functions and member requests are handled efficiently.
Starting on Thursday, March 19:
- We will offer drive up service only at all 3 offices. Our Personal Teller Machines (PTMs) at our 14th Street and Smelter Avenue locations can offer you direct service with our local tellers, without in-person contact. Coin and corporate checks can now be done through our 9th Street office drive up.
- We will be working by limited appointment at all three offices for specific services with our loan officers and member service representatives. Appointments may be made by calling (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242.
- As always, you may fully complete your loan applications online, through both our website, montanacu.com, or through our mobile app. You may also complete your loan application by phone at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242.
- We are offering no fee payment relief on Montana Credit Union consumer installment loans for members. Members will need to call to speak with a staff member to have the skipped payment fee waived.
Our staff will be standing by to answer your phone and email requests, and we will do our best to work through them as swiftly as possible. Times like these bring about many insecurities. Your finances are safe and secure through us, and you will continue to have access to your funds. Please know that your money at Montana Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Through our 80 year tenure, we have managed times of economic uncertainties, as well as both national and natural disasters, steadfastly serving members throughout.
We appreciate your patience as we do our part to mitigate the spread of this virus. During this time, we are committed to supporting both our staff, our members, and our community at large.
Sincerely,
Steven E. King
President/CEO
March 16, 2020
As your trusted financial partner, we want you to know that you can have full faith and confidence that we are doing everything we can to ensure staff and member safety, as well as your continued access to financial services.
As the novel coronavirus continues to gain speed in the United States, more businesses like ours are taking increased proactive measures to help inform their employees and members against the spread of the virus. This is an uncertain time for us all, but it is critical to remember to remain calm, look to factual information, and plan and prepare.
Your credit union’s top priority is keeping our workplace safe and free from infection, so that we can ensure we will be able to continue to serve our membership. Our senior leadership team has been in close communication regarding our business continuity planning, and has been doing the following to ensure our staff and offices are as ready as possible:
- Educating employees on the importance of infection control measures, such as regular and thorough hand-washing and staying home when sick
- Ensuring our offices and front lines are well-stocked with antibacterial cleaners and hand sanitizers, and making gloves available for staff and member use
- Regular sanitizing of shared surfaces, such as our PTMs, door handles, countertops, etc.
- Restricting business travel for the time being
Thankfully, due to technology, we have many options available for our membership and staff that can make this uncertain time easier to go about conducting your regular, everyday business.
- If you don’t yet have or use our mobile app, please take this opportunity to download it and sign in. Many basic banking functions can be conducted through our mobile app, making it unnecessary to come in to a branch to deposit a check. Please give us a call if you have questions on downloading or signing in to our mobile app.
- In addition, our Personal Teller Machines (PTMs) at our 14th Street and Smelter Avenue offices give you the convenience of working directly with our tellers for your banking transactions, without the need of physical in-person interaction. Through our PTMs, you can deposit cash and checks, withdraw cash (in varying bill increments), transfer funds and make loan payments. If you have not yet tried our PTMs, this is a great opportunity to do so!
- Questions for our loan officers and member services staff can be made by phone at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242.
We are simultaneously encouraging our members to be vigilant about increased instances of fraud and scams. Unfortunately, scammers follow headlines, and we anticipate seeing more scam and fraud cases based on the coronavirus. You can learn more about this on the FTC’s website here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/02/coronavirus-scammers-follow-headlines?utm_source=govdelivery
And finally, should you or your family be impacted by the coronavirus and need financial support, we are here to help. Our staff is ready to help provide financial guidance and discuss financial arrangements and solutions to help you through this uncertain time. Our Support Center is also available to assist you at (406) 727-2210 or (800) 721-2242 during normal business hours.
Thank you for your trust in Montana Credit Union. Please know that we are thinking of the health and well-being of our entire community, and will do our best to provide support during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Steven E. King
President/CEO
Montana Credit Union