Conference 7.286::dcu

781.0. "Attitude and Approach" by ASE003::GRANSEWICZ (Candidate for DCU Director) Mon Mar 14 1994 03:02

    
    In the 3 years I have been actively involved with DCU, I have come
    across a LOT of members that are eager to relate their personal horror
    stories about one or more of their dealings with DCU.  It would be
    easy to dismiss all these people as malcontents but many of these
    members' stories share common threads.
    
    I have come to the conclusion that DCU suffers from a severe attitude
    problem, pariticularly in its dealings with the membership.  I don't
    know when it started or why, but there is no denying it IMO.  It might
    be getting better, but unfortunately there is a LOT of damage to be
    repaired and reputation to mend.  Too many members relate stories of
    being denied credit (only to get it down the street at a bank), being
    put through the wringer for something as simple as a credit limit
    increase, or getting shafted in one of its dealings.
    
    I believe that 13 years of this has started to come home to roost at
    DCU.  All of these people (and all the people they spoke to) have been
    turned off by DCU.  I believe this is reflected in our difficulty in
    getting people to borrow money from us and the high number of members
    that don't use DCU as their primary financial institution.
    
    Now instead of trying to turn this image and aproach around, we have
    gone down the road of "relationship banking".  A large number of DCU
    members were identified as "abusers".  Many account changes have been
    made because "we were doing it wrong" (Christmas Clubs, RSVP, etc.) 
    We have been given data to indicate that DCU tellers spend far too much
    time performing "transactions", including small cash withdrawals.  
    The remedy for this bad behavior hasn't been decided yet.  It is
    believed we need a "sales and service" environment instead.  
    
    Now, I am a customer, just like everybody else.  I do business with
    businesses I feel comfortable with, and that treat me well.  If I have
    a bad experience, I will rarely go back, simply because there are so
    many other businesses vying for my money.
    
    I am afraid DCU has gotten itself into a mode of doing business that
    dictates to its customers (even worse, its owners) just how it expects
    them to do their business and shape their finances in order to meet
    DCU's idea of what they should be.  In others words, "you can have
    anything thing you want, as long as it is what I want to give you". 
    Whose expectations are out of synch here?  Does DCU think it has us all
    on the convenience hook and it can thus dictate the terms of the
    "relationship"?  With our competitors offering large ATM networks has
    this hook been "broken"?
    
    DCU needs a change of attitude and approach to the membership as much,
    or more, than it needs anything else.  Members (EVERY member) must be
    valued and courted.  There will ALWAYS be members that have less money
    than others.  Just because we have an "upscale membership", it cannot
    mean that people who aren't "upscale" are any less valuable to the
    credit union.  ALL members MUST be courted and persued for their
    business with the BEST that a credit union can offer its members.  The
    phrase "The customer is always right." MUST be the mode of operation at
    DCU.  It simply does NONE of us any good to take any other approach. 
    Digital found this out the hard way, and hopefully not too late.  DCU
    needs to learn the lesson as well IMO.
    
    This change of attitude and approach will result with a return to a
    true credit union approach to the membership.  There can be no division
    of the membership in any way, shape or form.  There can be no "us and
    them".  The sooner we get back to the basics of what we are supposed to
    be (a CREDIT UNION based upon "people helping people") the sooner we
    will all reap the benefits. 
    

    
    Re: .0
    
    ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!!!
    
    And, sadly, the DCU is not the only place where this attitude prevails.
    What Phil is describing here is a called a provider rather than a
    customer mentality.  The DCU has decided what is good for it as an
    institution and is trying its damndest to get its customers to comply.
    This is putting this a** backwards.
    
    As an example, I had the following experience last week at a
    clinic.  I arrived at 8:55 for my 9:00 appointment to see the
    Nurse Practitioner.  Her assistant called me in at 9:13 got me
    ready, and left saying the NP would "be right in."  She came
    in at 9:35 with NO acknoweldgement that I had been waiting and
    responded to me complaint with "YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND that since
    we often run behind because some patients arrive late, that I
    wasn't really scheduled to see you until 9:15."  "So," said I,
    "you make appointments with ALL OF YOUR PATIENTS with NO INTENTION
    of seeing them until 15 minutes later?"  "Right," she said, "BUT
    YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND that we have to maintain our schedule." 
    She also could not seem to understand that since she saw me long
    after HER schedule called for that they hadn't solved THEIR problem.
    
    This is a classic example of an organization that manages things
    according to ITS needs rather than its customers' needs.  I have had
    similar experiences with the DCU and know of ones that others have had.
    
    In today's market with many many choices available to people, this is
    a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS ATTITUDE.  We can't afford to let it continue
    at DCU if we want it to be successful and there for us.
    
    Steve
    
    

    re: -.1
    
    The reason people are late for appointments is that they have given up
    showing up on time because when they arrive, they are never seen on
    time. So, instead of setting proper expectations, meeting goals, etc.,
    the provider simply moves into the status quo and nothing ever changes.

    
    Re: .2
    
    Precisely.  Rather than acknowledge that the flaw is in their process
    and fixing it so they can meet the expectation of being seen when the
    appointed time arrives, they adjust their operation as if the customer
    is the the problem.  That is the part of the conversation, that I didn't
    go into.  Although she listened politely it was clear she "didn't get
    it."  The director of patient relations, however, was all ears and
    understood my point perfectly.
    
    It would be wonderful if we had such a customer relations person at
    the DCU.
    
    Steve