Conexus announced on Monday, March 23 about a reduction in hours of operation. Moreover, the credit union had implemented a COVID-19 plan, which involved limiting the number of members into their locations and enforcing social and physical distancing. In addition, a strict cleaning regime had been implemented to keep customers and employees safe from the virus which has transformed the lives of many throughout the world since this winter.
Normally, the Assiniboia branch is opened from Monday to Wednesday from 9-4 p.m. and from Thursday to Friday from 9-5 p.m. During this current crisis, the Conexus branch in Assiniboia is opened from 10-12 and 1-3 from Monday to Friday.
Eric Dillon, CEO of Conexus, would prefer for customers to call first before coming into the local branch to conduct business. “We’d love them to call first if they want to deal with real live human beings in our branches.”
By calling us first, Conexus are able to limit the visits to their branches for urgent services, such as the replacement of a bank card and so forth. However, Conexus is limiting the number of people inside the branch, so members might be asked to wait outside. Also, only one person will be allowed inside the ATM vestibule at a time.
“We’re concerned about people coming in and getting closer than they should,” Dillon explained.
Conexus is encouraging their customers to use other forms of banking from home, rather than doing their business inside a physical branch. Many banking transactions such as checking account balances, paying bills, or transferring money between accounts can be done through online and mobile banking. Additionally, as with many other businesses and financial institutions, Conexus has recommended their customers to go cashless as an extra precaution against spreading germs from handling coins and paper money.
Conexus has telephone banking, allowing customers to examine their account balances, banking activities, or settle bills. Moreover, their call centre is able to perform most transactions over the phone, including opening and managing accounts, transferring money and sorting out other matters.
“You can come inside a branch if you want to, but rather than that, pick up the phone from the comfort of your living room,” Dillon suggested.
Conexus are able to provide most banking services through a remote system. During this crisis, they have augmented their capabilities in the institution’s Member Contact Centre to assist customers as they manage their finances during the pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 crisis has created a significant amount of financial unease and anxiety, Conexus will help their customers to activate a skip-payment plan, to defer monthly payments on conventional and insured mortgages and non-mortgage loans. Conexus will assess each individual situation then establish the best selections to provide relief, including the introduction of a skip-payment plan to defer monthly payments, or to create an interest only payment plan to help businesses as they traverse through this economic downturn.
This relief is mean to serve individual members, small business owners, commercial interests and agricultural members who are in good standing and are feeling the financial strain brought by COVID-19 and are searching for provisional relief from mortgages, line of credit and loan payments.
“We’ve mirrored other programs that are available in the marketplace,” Dillon concluded.
