March 19, 2020
As a follow-up to my original coronavirus (COVID-19) communication, circumstances have rapidly evolved to require further bold actions be taken to meet the directives ordered by Governor DeWine as recent as yesterday afternoon. With the growing list of business industries in Ohio being forced to shutter their operations, along with employer mandated expectations such as social distancing, we find it necessary to adjust our operations to help protect the health and safety of our members, our employees, and the communities we serve in general. Although the credit union’s branch service capabilities are being somewhat limited, as I will discuss in more detail later, it is very reassuring to hear from the Governor’s task force on coronavirus that they do not have any intention of closing banks or credit unions in Ohio! However, they do report that it may only be feasible to remain open through limited services such as drive thru, ATM access, call centers, and on-line banking. The Governor has repeatedly emphasized the need to keep open the financial institutions, grocery stores and healthcare related facilities, if and when, a mass quarantine is issued in Ohio.
With this said, Atomic Credit Union is announcing its operational plan to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 which is consistent with the direction provided by the Governor’s office. Effective today, March 19, 2020, the Credit Union will be expanding its social distancing practice by modifying its operations until further notice. All branch walk-in lobbies will be temporarily unavailable for transactions except that appointments can be scheduled with one of our Member Service Representatives. You may make an appointment by calling 800-652-2328. Atomic will be limiting all locations to drive-thru, night drops and ATM services. During this transition, we will have a personal greeter at each location entrance to provide guidance on how you can complete your financial transactions. We truly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but please realize we are doing this for the sake of protecting our members, employees, their family members, and the community at-large. It is up to all of us to come together and make the necessary sacrifices needed to safely move beyond these unprecedented times. In the event your branch location does not have a drive-thru, please consider utilizing one of our many ATM’s or night drops for cash or deposit services. See our website for location specific capabilities. Also, you can do almost everything one of our tellers can do from our online and mobile banking apps – deposit a check with Remote Deposit Capture, transfer money between your accounts, check real-time balances, make loan payments, just to mention a few.
One of the conditions set forth within the Governor’s directives on COVID-19 establishes the expectation that employers should take and monitor its employees’ temperature before allowing them to enter the workplace. If he/she exhibits a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees, then that employee is to be sent home and quarantined at home. This expectation is the primary reason for strictly limiting our lobbies during the pandemic period. We ask that if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, please do not attempt to transact business at the Credit Union. With that said, we will have our call center staff beefed up with knowledgeable lenders to assist you with any loan requests you may have during this time. We love to make loans! If you have internet access, we can have you sign your loan documents via DocuSign, otherwise we will try to accommodate an office visit for the closing. We will be reaching out directly to our members that are in the process of a mortgage loan and provide them with updates regarding the status of their loans and how the closure of local courthouses may affect the mortgage lending process.
Some economists are predicting unemployment may surge to 20% during this period. I wish to assure our loan members that the Atomic Credit Union will do the right thing by you! We will continue to do the credit union thing – help people! As I said previously, our call center is fully staffed and ready to assist members in good times and bad times. The most important piece of advice I can give to anyone during bad times is to keep the line of communication open! We want to help you! We will be utilizing all tools, such as, loan extensions, modifications, consolidations, etc. to help get you through this unprecedented time. Again, I cannot stress enough – please stay in communication with us – it’s the best way we can help you!
As circumstances evolve, I will be sure to communicate any necessary issues as soon as practical. In the meanwhile, be safe and keep your distance 😊
Sincerely,
Thomas D. Griffiths