Recently lost a long-time friend.
He was a "Raleigh-boy", a die-hard Wolfpack fan, an effective, 40+ year leader in State government, community activist extraordinaire, one of the funniest story-tellers on the planet! He was a family man, 2 daughters, his wife was a teacher in the Wake County system. Good man, highly principled... a life long supporter and advocate for the State Employees' Credit Union.
✅ Just received the following text from his daughter (3:15pm, 9/13/2023):
"Can you please write a blog about why we have been at the **** branch for an hour; on top of an hour the other day and we can't get the heck out of here bc no one knows how to do a safe deposit box close out?"
✅ Jenny, I just wrote it. I am simply ashamed by this. You, your Mom, ... and your Father... deserve better from SECU!
.... it's no longer funny folks. Hope you take it personally, too. https://secuvote.ey.com/
Is she in Raleigh? I'm one of those legacy employees. I'll help her get it done. Can go by her house tonight if it isn't fixed.
ReplyDeletethanks for saying this, we probably already know each other if you are legacy.
Delete"Industry Standard" ....
ReplyDeletegutting the branches so that admin is well staffed with overpaid know-nothing-do-nothings! Please remember, Leigh Brady NEVER worked in a branch. She has no idea what a branch employee did 2 years ago, not now either.Jim Hayes was nightmare foisted off on us by this board, Alice Garland at the heart of that decision.Branch employees used to be able(2years ago) to do any job, reported to the branch manager. now everything is in Raleigh. Right there with Leigh Brady and this board. Maybe they will send someone out in a couple of days to get the job done for these folks. NCSECU is sure starting to feel like just any old financial instiution that doesn't give a rip about its "customers" yep that's how this board thinks about us. We are members. Make a difference. Go vote!! Perkins, Stone and Clements.
ReplyDelete... and you best believe word is spreading and Bad news travels fast!
DeleteWhy not just call Loan Administration and get someone to help? They have a God awful amount of employees now. And for what reasons? Put the work back on the branches and let us fix things. Let us help our members again like they deserve to be helped.
DeleteLoan Administration Leaders are as guilty as Hayes and This Board for creating these problems across the branch network. Would be interested to know how many Specialists (MLS or FAS) with previous Safe Box Training and knowledge were available in this branch to help these folks? Most all Specialists are Senior Employees with years of vast training under their belts. No reflection on these individual employees - they have been instructed to stay in their lane and not assist where needed. Another example why Specialization did not work years ago or now in SECU branches.
DeleteSeems like it’s not an issue of training but more of an issue of lack of training.
DeleteThis Member will not be satisfied until every Board Member who voted to bring Jim Hayes into our Credit Union is removed from their seat. Voting for Perkins, Clements and Stone will start the recovery process down at our Credit Union. Spread the word, get those absentee votes in before October 3rd.
DeleteI suppose most MLO Specialists have been basically idle in the branches for a long while now. Maybe someone should tell your Loan Administration the mortgage boom for home buying and refinancing is over but some of us are still interested in New Construction loans. Just keep sending us to the banks for construction lending, we may not return to SECU.
DeleteI can see it now - we need to provide you more training…no, you need to let me hire good people at a fair and competitive wage. We have no depth.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences to his family ... these are the type of things you hope to avoid in these situations ... Pray the light shines brightly in the darkness!
ReplyDeleteAs a seasoned SECU employee who hasn't been there since September of 2014, I was pulling my hair out that I knew more than the employee making it so difficult. But, I had to take modules..... sooooooo..... lol
ReplyDeleteI’m a former employee as well and I feel this way about nearly every interaction these days. I always want to say….”for the love… move over and just let me do it. It’s been 10 years, but I remember how.”
DeleteFood for thought: In Ms. Garland's words we need new blood in the organization. And while we are at it let's set them up for failure by lowering basic expectations. SECU can't afford any more of
DeleteMs. Garland's wisdom or lack thereof.
Teach em to fish, don't just feed them ...
Delete"In Ms. Garland's words we need new blood in the organization."
DeleteShe should have taken her own advice and stepped down ...
You see it's NEVER about them, they want to replace YOU with new blood ...
Do as I say not as I do ... (it's the new/new theme of society!
We will replace her with "new blood" come October ...
That is a huge concern in regards to the lack of empathy they have for employees. “We need new blood”. So just throw the experienced employees to the streets with no paycheck? Where is the humanity? I’m 40 years old…it’s not exactly easy finding a decent job in this job market at the moment. Luckily I live near a bigger city, but what about other employees that live in a smaller town…where do they go for work? Oh yeah, they don’t care and that’s not their concern. “Just move and find a job” oh yea Alice…some of us like our families and do not tie our life to careers. Secu use to understand that concept…and didn’t give employees shady work schedules trying to get them to quit….
Deletethe whole "new blood" was just an excuse because she wasn't getting her way so she responded like a teenager would ... with spite!
DeleteSECU Member/Owner
Spite? you nailed it Malice Alice.
Delete“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”
Deletethey will leave devastation in their wake ...
Malice Alice in Blunderland
DeleteHe sure knew how to plan and execute a good Wolfpack tailgate too. RIP BB. As for the safety deposit box, in all seriousness, send her Jamie Applequist’s number and he will get it taken care of.
ReplyDeletewhy not Leigh Brady's phone number? Jim Blaine used to tell people he was head of the complaint department. And he answered his phone too.
DeleteNah, don't call Leigh, she's busy working on the strategic plan
DeleteAnd cosigning her C-paper daughter's loan.
DeleteMore likely rearranging the deck chairs on the yacht Titanic
DeleteNo doubt a first in the lifeboat type Captain.
DeleteDon't forget the board liked Gym better than Leigh two years ago. Probably still do. Congrats there Leigh!
DeleteGym Brady?
DeleteSpeaking of gym, is that one still open or did it close down when Hayes left? Appears there is too much work to be done for employees to have workout time on our dime.
DeleteShe's too busy getting loans to pay all the women off she told to shut up before #metoo
DeleteSending my sympathy and apologies to this SECU Family. There are no excuses for poor service during your time of need.
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone think that doing away with modules and not giving employees a basic understanding of their job was a good thing? Our poor, new employees have no idea of how the credit union works, how to resolve problems, and very little about the basic services of the credit union. I walk into a branch to ask a question and if it’s a new employee and they try to answer the question, quite often it’s wrong information. They’re trying but they’ve not been given the fundamentals of credit union operations. I do feel sorry for them. I would have thought that Leigh Brady would have reinstated modules as one of her very first duties and made all new hires from over the past two year take modules. Oh, but of course, she never worked in a branch. The pace of corrective actions does not match the pace of destruction caused by this board and Jim Hayes. I’m afraid it will take many years to correct the damage already done and especially the tarnished reputation of the credit union. Electing Perkins, Clements and Stone is a start, but only a start. I believe it will take some “housecleaning” in Raleigh too. I also don’t believe that Leigh Brady has the backbone to do it. Don’t despair. If enough good, seasoned, legacy employees will stick around long enough and given the opportunity and the tools, it is possible to turn this thing around.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate for our employees, but what's even worse is that the executives and board members don't understand the concept of a co-op ... How do you lead without the fundamentals?
Deletethis is what 'Industry Standard' gets you ... poor service. I see examples ALL THE TIME in our new/new society!
Inexcusable having to deal with something like this during this difficult time.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand loan admin needs to get off their asses. You have MLO’s with nothing to do. If I have to hear one more time that we did 23 pre quals in the last quarter. Big deal, branch MLO’s have way too much time on their hands doing nothing.
Another reason why the Jack of all trades method was/is superior.
DeleteCorrect. But also incorrect- we didn't think we knew EVERYTHING so we didn't realize at the time how much we actually knew. That was the plan the entire time, I'm pretty sure.
DeleteThank you!!
DeleteAnyone who has access to the Wall Street Journal can read a piece today titled "Credit Unions Stray Far From Their Mission" . Could have been written about this board, Gym Haze and Leigh Brady. https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-unions-stray-far-from-their-mission-profits-interest-rates-finance-lender-6485810c?page=1
ReplyDeleteThe world has lost its way .... I'll leave it at that ...
DeleteSECU Member/Owner!
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered ..."
Delete.. from "Doing the Right Thing"
The damage these folks have cost SECU, not only monetary but fundamentally may never be fixed.
ReplyDelete'They' broke 85 years of trust. You don't regain that overnight if it can ever be done. The care and love these employees had for their members as well as each other has been shattered! You allow executives to come in and trash legacy employees and you think that's OK?
You give the new executives perks from day one that the rest of us had to EARN over the years? That's a recipe for disaster and you are seeing it play out day by day...
One think 'they' did say truthfully, this is "Industry Standard" which mean you are now just like the rest of the world ... treat folks as a Customer and not a member and waste money and pretend it's OK! (we live in a pretend world nowadays). You have sold your flock to the highest bidder.
Your leadership skills weren't learned, they were given to you from a cracker jack box!
Jim, is APCO still a factor at the moment in the credit union?
ReplyDeleteSorry don't know the answer - try SECU 919-839-5000!
Deleteprobably until they get the results of the election they are paid to get ... just a guess ...
DeleteSorry for your loss and ours as a member of our SECU family and a career state employee. WE have to do better for our members regardless of the situation but certainly during a most difficult time! VOTE THEM OUT!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like Leigh needs to focus on fixing the “It’s not my job” mentality that has creeped in as a result of the specialist role. Taking 45 minutes and having to complete three wires to deposit funds in a CUIS account is not people helping people. Having to prepare members for Real Estate closing delays in the event the one branch MLO is out unexpectedly is ridiculous. I worked in a branch with 7 folks who could close RE loans and no appointments were needed. SECU has truly lost our way!
ReplyDeleteCould NOT agree more with this!
DeleteAlso agreeing wholeheartedly. So many of us spent years and years training, learning, testing and developing expertise in multiple areas from which we’ve now been banned. It was exciting and rewarding to help our members… Unlike the current lip service about it, we actually met our members where they wanted to be served. Any day, any branch, any need - we were there.
DeleteSpecialization and centralization needs to be eliminated.
ReplyDelete100% agree with this. So many things to need go back to how it was.
Delete