Valley First Credit Union Layoffs?

[Burt_the_hurt]

I was just reading in another fourm where Valley First has "let-go" up to 35 long term staff recently. Any truth to this??

[fluffy]

Didn't they just amalgamate with another big outfit down at the coast ? It might be that there was some duplication in upper administration. Valleyfirst itself isn't the little home-town credit union it used to be either, with what, about twenty bank branches and almost that again in insurance outlets ?

[Burt_the_hurt]

Here is the story I first saw..

.viewtopic.php?f=27&t=50114&p=1457031&hilit=valley+first+credit+union#p1457031

I actually have a coworker that was part of this and what they told me was that there were many duplicated positions after this "merger/takeover" and the position in Vancouver won out, the work all went to Vancouver and the poor person in Penticton was let go. It is kind of shocking that a so called local company would send jobs out of the area.

[fluffy]

I get what you're saying, but the cold hard fact of "business is business" does come up and slap one in the face every now and then. A business geared towards profitability can't have two people doing the same job if one person can handle the load. I've banked at Valleyfirst for close to twenty years, coming on board when they were still just in Penticton. I have noticed that as they have grown some of the "small town" feel that drew me there in the first place has given way to more of a "big bank" attitude, it's hard to nail down, it's just the feeling you get when dealing with some staff members. The frontline gang has always been and still remains to be pleasant and efficient. I have been told that the branch I deal at is a "training branch" so I'm used to a fairly steady turnover in staff, I assume that people I see go missing have just moved on to other positions. If the issue was duplication of services then I'd suspect most of the jobs lost locally were middle management and administrative positions in the head offices, positions we don't see from the teller's wicket. Still, it's a hell of a time to get cut loose if you're on the home stretch to retirement and settled in pretty solidly where you are. I know the feeling, I'm in my late fifties and in the middle of a big career change and it's scary.

[XT225]

I used to bank at the Credit Union years ago but customer service (or lack of it) convinced me to change banks. They are ALL facing cutbacks these days and the word "Service" doesn't seem to be top priority anymore. Profits are number one; however they should realize that without service, customers get ticked off and move around; so there go their profits. Just look at the crazy hours that some banking institutions have gone to, to attract customers and to some degree, it works. Not everyone can get to the bank between 9:30 and 4:30. I really blasted a front counter gal in the bank recently; when she advised me: "you know that you can do your banking via phone or the internet these days?" (she was obviously forced to say this). I replied that "well, I haven't figured out how to dig the cash out of the phone receiver yet". There are some things that still need to be done in person. Ok...there are ATM's but I'm also trying to help them preserve their own ding danged jobs.

[colonkerry]

It might be that there was some duplication in upper administration. Valleyfirst itself isn't the little home-town credit union it used to be either home loan or education loan.
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[Daspoot]

As several people have touched on, VFCU lost it's way somewhere during the countless expansions it made. It went away from the very ideals that made it popular in the first place. I had very strong ties to it for over 20 years, and as soon as those ties ceased, I moved accounts and have never looked back. i.m.o. VF is just another big bank now, although some of the big banks have better policies and customer service now.

[Tero]

I noticed an ad in a local paper last week that was flouting PROSPERA CREDIT UNION as the sponsor of the annual Axel Merckx this year. That was a big VFCU baby..... I wonder what happened there?

[Burt_the_hurt]

Just came across this.....
http://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bclrb/doc/2 ... aXQAAAAAAQ

[GEW]

I used to use vfcu for everything ; banking , insurance, mutual funds etc. my impression of them lately, is that they feel they are doing me a favour for going to them. There is an air of entitlement in their offices so I decided to wash my hands of them.
I switched to TD. They may be a " big insensitive" bank, but I love their hours and they bend over backwards for me; especially with their mortgages.
It's called " voting with your feet" !

[Daspoot]

On this we agree 100% GEW.

I still use a Credit Union, but not VF. I will say last week I was absolutely blown away by above and beyond service from my local Royal Bank of all things. Will wonders never cease.

[GEW]

Yes we do indeed.