HOUSTON–A proposed merger between two large credit unions in Houston is not being embraced by everyone, if harsh consumer comments posted online are any measure.
As the CU Daily reported here, TDECU has announced another merger, giving it an even larger presence in the Houston market. The $4.86-billion Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU), which has 400,000 members, said it and the $802-million Smart Financial Credit Union, which has 60,000 members, are seeking to combine.
In a statement, the credit unions said the merger would “bring together two of Houston’s most trusted financial institutions.”
What Members are Saying
But on the Facebook page of The Facts, below a posting of a news story announcing the intent to merge, members have been less than welcoming.
Among the comments posted (Editor’s Note: some of the comments were edited for punctuation and spelling)
- Whose goal is that? The members want a friendly, local credit union… not a Top 20 Mega conglomerate.
- Meanwhile it’s now more than a 2 hour wait on the phone when you have an issue. Wonder how long the wait will be after this merger. Can they work on their call center and bring it back like it used to be??
- And what’s up with the verification questions “how long have you had an acct with us?” And “which location did you open your acct?”
- Remember when TDECU use to put their members first? I miss those days.
- The bigger it gets, the worse it gets
- I don’t know one single person who’s happy with the evolution of TDECU over the past three years…
- Well I guess it’s time for me to go ahead and move to Navy Federal.
- Leaving TDECU was the best decision we made. Our family had been with them for over 30 years and it sure isn’t the same place they started out as.
- Go back to old site. Better location and better parking
- I’ve changed banks, I know my little account won’t break them but so happy with 1st State Bank in Clute
- Great, so, it’s going to be even harder to get someone on the phone! I’m about to move banks
- These guys don’t have the slightest idea what (they’re) doing can’t get an answer besides hold on while I transfer to someone else
- Judging by the comments I am very surprised they have a single member lol. I left them years ago! When I got better financing through Toyota than the bank I was with for 20 years.
- Top of everything we can’t get a decent debit) card with our favorite team on it because were not up to system blah blah blah so go figure
- Go back to Dow employees and family
- They are focusing on the wrong thing. That building you’ve built is sadly holding less and less because you’ve forgotten what got you there. Somebody in the decision making is hurting them rather than helping. Biggest isn’t always best
- And the quality of member service no longer exists.
- Great. Phone waits are already over 60 mins +, the app takes forever to work (that’s if it does), debit and credit cards get shut off for the smallest things and take forever to come in when replaced (if they ever do) and the loan department is constantly falling behind and not completing loan paperwork in the correct amount of time, so they have to be redone. Don’t get me started on the micro size bank they built. Can’t wait to see what fresh hell this (merger) brings.
- They need to start with taking care of the customers they have and stop making members sit on hold for 1-2 hours then be told they can’t help you or put you on hold for another 30 minutes because they can’t help you
- It’s heart-breaking that they don’t care if they (lose) the members who have supported them for years
- I’ve been a member over 50 years and they are absolutely horrible and the bad part when you change banks all your automatic withdrawals…all has to be changed. Your Social security checks have to be changed. It’s one big mass to get everything switched over to a different bank, but I’ve had so much trouble. Just trying to get into my account to see how much I have so I don’t overdraw paying on the bill, it’s unbelievable. I think I will just try to transfer to a credit union in Cedar Park and see how that goes. I know where it’s at is not going very good at all
- The building is nice. The service is mediocre, About to leave them because customers or “members” no longer matter.
- I am concerned. Seems like they are getting worse. I can only hope for better.
- Now we’ll never get thru on the phones
- It used to be great to bank there! That bank is just horrible now.
