PONTIAC, Mich.––Michigan Legacy Credit Union is reporting a surge in online traffic and it has now rolled out a number of solutions to better enable its members to conduct non-cash transactions without entering any of its branches.
Among those solutions is a new mobile app that provides account openings, changes of address, and loan applications and loan closings, including mortgages, via the Pop I/O video teller platform. In conjunction with the app launch, Michigan Legacy said it also updated its website in response to increased traffic resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
President and CEO Carma Peters said efforts to improve online banking options have been in the works since 2019, when MLCU made the strategic decision to update branches with a smaller footprint, including some in new locations, with a new design theme and video tellers.
The effect of the pandemic has “affirmed this direction,” according to the credit union, which called the shift to online banking “dramatic.” Michigan Legacy reported 50,000 more online transactions in April than in March, a 38% increase.
The ‘New Branch’
“While we still welcome owners to come to our branches in Flat Rock, Garden City, Highland, Pontiac, Warren and Wyandotte, we are positioning the mobile app as our ‘new branch’ to offer owners yet another option to bank from their phones, computers or tablets,” Peters said.
The new branch can be downloaded to electronic devices from MLCU’s website, or found in Apple and Google Play stores under “Michigan Legacy Member Connect.”
MLCU said its updated website features a new interface that makes information easier to find, reflects a shift toward online banking, and addresses COVID-19 updates. The credit union said it “does not publish interest rates and teaser rates on its website for the sole purpose of encouraging members to reach out to MLCU directly for personalized financial solutions that meet their specific needs.”
‘Wading Through Challenges’
“With so many economic uncertainties, our owners are wading through some challenging waters now,” Peters said. “We want them to connect with us directly to learn how to best address their banking and lending needs, rather than offer cookie cutter solutions. It’s the personal relationships and targeted advice that remain the hallmark of the credit union experience.”