... too busy to help?
Mentioned in Chapter 21 [link] that discussing the We Board's peremptory decision to eliminate tax prep services would be like touching the "third rail". So, the overall response did not come as a shock.
Had hoped that broadening the understanding of what was at stake with the tax prep service - millions of dollars in savings for members, the individual and community economic boost from foregone tax credits, heightened employee training and pay, the reputational value of SECU being recognized nationwide as something other than a "Kleenex bank" [see Chapter 3] - might open some minds. Not sure it did.
We know for sure that the 100,000+ members thrown under the bus by the decision haven't changed their minds and the We Board remains imperious and aloof. We might want to focus therefore on talking a little more with those put most at risk by the decision - SECU employees, particularly those in the branches.
Received one comment which was extremely thoughtful from a long-time employee, who said she had been an area tax prep supervisor/coordinator, a top preparer, liked "doing taxes", but agreed with the decision to end the tax prep service! She then offered a calm, thorough, detailed critique of the program problems - which included multiple entry, processing, and review levels; inadequate training, lack of dedicated resources and senior management support; and an inappropriate expansion of the program beyond the "simple 1040 only" mission/scope. The problem analysis was a tour-de-force, excellent! The problems were succinctly and intelligently described!
But you know what was missing? The missing piece? The problem definitions were exceptional; but, no solutions were offered? Although the tax program problems as outlined - better system design, automated workflow, more preparers, better training - are easily addressed; senior management was evidently out-to-lunch and the We Board uninquiringly clueless. Can't much blame the SECU employees on the front line and in the trenches; they can tell you precisely what is not working well at SECU, but if management ("lack of senior management support") and "the We" aren't listening.... why bother?
"They" weren't listening and so the solution offered to 100,000+ SECU members by their Credit Union was the chance to inspect the underside of a Greyhound...
But why do you say SECU employees - particularly in the branches - are at risk with the decision? Thanks for asking; lets talk about that tomorrow. Here's your test question:
✅ "If your job, your career, your future at SECU (let alone the mortgage, car payment, childcare, and that long hoped for cruise!) depended on you solving those tax prep operational difficulties in the next 90 days, could you do it?"
... we'll talk tomorrow. But if your answer is "No"... better go on and get your resume together!
Limit scope way more than it was. The health insurance mandate debacle should have been out of scope. Business and self employed returns out of scope. I'd even go as far as saying itemized deductions and folks with investment income out of scope. That instantly makes tax return processing a breeze for the trained employee. 9/10 returns were simple 1040 only without all those more difficult items who probably should have been using a more specialized tax prep service. That also ensures we serve the members most in need of an affordable program. These more difficult items discouraged employees who werent super comfortable preparing returns. Some districts even had the great idea to take their best return processors and let them do all the returns while the other staff helped the rest of the membership. Something that could have been implemented statewide? Tax prep could have stayed. Was just managed poorly.
ReplyDeleteJust because you can doesn’t mean you should.
ReplyDeleteI think I know where you're going with this and you are 100% correct. I've been hearing whispers surrounding the new "proposed" branch career path and there are major concerns with it. It sounds like a lack of advancement opportunities combined with the lack of a paycheck to match. A systematic devaluation of frontline employees which will ultimately result in deteriorating member service.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it, instead of mgmt tweaking the program to make it better they just chucked it ... just like they did everything... they had the mandate to change everything good or bad it had to go! Can't have no unicorns in our financial 'system'. If the rich ain't getting richer then something is wrong with the 'program'...
ReplyDeleteWhat Mandate????? The one they bestowed on themselves? "they" got a mandate last board election that has been completely ignored.
Delete"What Mandate????? The one they bestowed on themselves? "
DeleteYes that one... or one that came from ???
You don't necessarily see the power brokers, they often hide in the shadows.
The board doesn't care about last October ... 'they' are still running things... maybe 4 more ousters this election will change things up!
If the elected attorneys in DC (AKA politicians) can force everyone to use a tax preparer by making it difficult with complicated laws then they just gave all their tax attorney buddies back home a big slap on the back (along with massive amounts of money) and can get some of it back with 'financial backing' to get re-elected ...
ReplyDeleteThe folks in charge only care about 'profits' ... (typical banker mindset). They have no business running a credit union. They had a gift given to them and only these fools could run it in the ground!
ReplyDeleteSomebody needs to be looking at Chris Ayers work as a consumer advocate on the utilities commission. He isn't looking after NC there either. Dig and you'll find dirt.
DeleteWe allowed our tax prep program to become overly complicated. Tax prep should be brought back under FAS. These employees have the most specialized financial training now so adding this could work. We could add at least one employee per branch to the new tax prep program. Doing the right thing doesn't have to be complicated as long as we don't let the program get overly complicated. I helped prepare hundreds of tax returns. It was nice to help members that needed it but sometimes it took days and several employees to complete tax returns that truly needed to be prepared by a CPA.
ReplyDeleteSounds like "mission creep". program started out as only simple returns. Even when the fee was instated the tax prep should have remained simple returns. Complicated ones belong with CPA. Not set up to compete with the HR Blocks of the world. Simple returns for people of modest means. Management and preparers also work together to tweak program, fix what needs fixing. But don't throw it out.
DeleteThere FAS goes again making it sound like the rest of us are too dumb to key taxes. I’ve been keying taxes for years while you sit in your office wasting time on your cell phone waiting on “appointments”. Wish I had a “specialized skill set”.
DeleteFAS is were the remaining tax prep employees are, so that is were it should start. But it is a big task to have all that training material updated with only half the tax prep employees and missing most that work on the calculators.
DeleteThe 7:04 pm comment pretty much nailed it - the program was too broad, training was not sufficient, and SECU managers (not all!) failed to ‘manage’ the program at the local level. We had folks who loved to do taxes and if managers had centralized tax prep in the local area and allowed those folks to complete taxes - taking the burden off of other branch staff members - a much needed service would continue to be delivered to members in a very manageable way with all branch employees in a much happier place during the tax prep season.
ReplyDeleteThe MLS platform was and remains to be one of the biggest mistakes made at SECU to date - the employees (not all!) disconnected from the branch and their branch coworkers - many of them actually bragging about their light work load and watching “Netflix” on SECU time. In a SECU world where managing employee costs is paramount, one would think that effective utilization of every full time employee in the branch/work from home/MSS would be evaluated as a top priority.
Agree with 7:04 AM & 9:06 AM comments. Would add that if reinstated, the tax prep program should not be included in the career path. Why? Because an issue with the program in the past was that some employees keying taxes did not want to do so and just went through the motions, simply doing it for the additional pay and/or career path requirement. Our members deserve better.
ReplyDeleteIs this a problem with the tax prep program or a problem with management?
Delete