Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Ithaca NY

I CLOSED Both of my accounts because their "Manager" was RUDE to me and refused to accept my rolled coin for deposit. I took my business elsewhere and I'm Glad I did.

Hard to get answers to time sensitive issues, such as end of tax year decisions and specific dates for Kasasa monthly qualifications periods for the current year (only have 2022/23 periods posted)!

I have never had an issue here as a matter of fact, they gave me my first car loan with a fantastic, when everywhere else gave me double digits.
I believe they care about each and every member regardless of all things most banks discriminate with…

Sometimes it’s a little harder to get through via telephone.but that’s a very small price to pay for equality, and great customer care…
They have a great first time buyer program along with one on one credit, counseling courses … I’m very grateful.
Give them a fair chance…
Thanks

Worse bank in Tompkins County! If your thinking about YOUR finacial future. STAY FAR AWAY thIs bank.is useless. The loan officers USELESS, business banking USELESS. People of.color don't be fooled by thier diversity posters. They don't like you. Horrible Bank.the lobby is FILTHY. SMH

My partners and I have had the privilege of using the Small Business Development program at Alternatives and WOW - what an incredible resource. Eileen Peet, Rebekah Carroll and Marlowe Janelle in particular are a powerhouse trifecta who helped lead us to successful marketing plans, best practices for financial projections and a killer logo for our new business!

Highly recommend using them for all your new small business needs. Thank you, Alternatives!

Im sick of this bank. The tellers on the line and via drive through are great, but forget about getting any help via phone, email or at all. If you call you are placed on hold for 20-minutes, with a prompt to have them call you back every 30 seconds. (with a loop of the same string of notes between them) If you still don't get someone after a little under 20-minutes they hang up on you.
If you are lucky you will get a call back in a few days. We are trying to pay off a loan and close out that account.
If you want a local back go to CFCU or Tompkins County trust, just stay away from this hot mess of a bank.

I forgot to add to the above - Don't trust their on-line hours. We went down on a Saturday to go into the lobby and it never opened. When we called using the phone in the lobby we where told that it was only the call center that was open. We where not the only members that got nailed by this as there was 3 of us waiting for the lobby to open. When we told them the site was wrong we where told that there was no mistake, and the lobby had never been open on a Saturday.

Although the tellers are nice, the rates are good and they have a good vision, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS BETWEEN HORRIBLE AND NON-EXISTENT. Nobody answers the phone and it takes over a day to get a call back. Last week I emailed the “new accounts” email address that the teller gave me (because no one was available to help me open an account, and requested an appointment, but after 7 days nobody called or emailed me back. I had to send a second email and then also send a secure message on the app complaining that I never got a call back before getting a call back.

Update from 1 yr ago. Stopped in today just to make a quick deposit. The bank is closed for the holiday, which is fine but not only are there no envelopes in the night deposit box but they have now locked the vestibule during off hours, which has not been noted anywhere. May be time to switch banks.

I used to absolutely love being a member of Alternatives. The last year though has got me rethinking my place here. The staff went from being professional, knowledgeable and helpful to slacking, rude and frumpy. I don't mind a more relaxed attitude especially with the stress COVID has brought but they are going to far.

Credit unions historically were community oriented banks. This credit union used to be a great place to bank. Now customer service is non existent, you can call all you want and will never get anyone on the phone, even their call you back feature is broken and you can’t get to anyone to tell them. The loan officers only reply to things that they want to, they don’t seem want to work with their members to help them qualify or advise them, they just take forever to get back to anything. I’ve been without my card for months now, have left multiple voicemails and they won’t answer my requests to get a working new atm card. Sadly I won’t be sticking around this credit union much longer.

Although we appreciate the services and our teller was helpful. There was no USA flag but several flags representing hate groups inside the lobby, which made us uncomfortable. Also, There were vagrants loitering right at the front door which also made us worry about security.

It's impossible to get anyone on the phone, the lobby hours suck and the dividend is basically nothing. I feel stuck because our mortgage is through here, otherwise I'd go elsewhere.

When I first became a member of this bank it was really awesome (before COVID). I could get a real person on the line immediately, I could handle all my business via email, and the lobby hours were convenient.

NOW, I've been on hold for 45 minutes with a simple question (and these hold times are common now if you are calling past 9am), the staff changes constantly, I make mobile deposits and try to get holds for my paychecks removed via the messaging function in the banking app, and sometimes I don't even hear back until the next day. Sometimes I have to call the phone line, to ask them whats taking so long, which results in another long hold time just to get them to resolve something they can supposedly handle easily via mobile app.

Their lobby hours are a joke, and up until recently they were shutting down for a lunch break. Like how hard is it to manage breaks and lunch so you don't have to shut down for an hour every day? Stagger them out, it's simple.

I used to love being a member here, because it was a local bank, but now, it's just miserable.

Long time member but I can’t take it anymore. I loved being part of this family for 40 years but the lobby hours are now short and inconvenient and the customer experience has really flagged. Sad.

The only thing this bank is.good for is giving poor people car loans, so they can go to work. Colonizers

Horrible service came to this bank at 10: 00 a.m. With my friend to get a loan approved. They told us it would be 2 hours to return back at 12: 00. We came back at 12 they said the loan was not ready yet. Since 1: 00 p.m. We've been sitting. A man showed up and said it probably wasn't going to be guaranteed. We told him we would wait and he said ok. Here we are almost 5: 00 in the afternoon and nobody has even had the decency to come out and let us know what's going on. At least tell us we won't be seeing you today. They left through the back door. The teller gave more excuse. Saying sorry didn't remedy the issue of being unprofessional and letting us know 4 hours in advance we definitely won't be able to see you today. Terrible costumer service.

In the very recent past, my perception of the level of service had change because of one particular employee, and for Good reason…

I’ve historically had Fantastic service,
K Ritter and B Wilbur, and the very customer oriented staff inside the CU.
Moving on, in the past month I was in the market for a car, because of a non responsive person I shall not mention, I lost the car of my dreams. So once I found a runner up I made another attempt, having no faith at all. I reach a Young lady name Jacqueline. After exposing to her my recent past experience she asked d for me to give her an opportunity to make up for the last situation, that had me filling not so great about Alternative’s loan department. I expressed to her that I would pass on the chance, and I’d would more than likely have to go ahead and get a higher interest rate from the car dealership to ensure, hat I didn’t miss out on this car.
She pleaded and pleaded, for me to allow her a chance make things right and so I did. This was a wonderful experience.
Jacqueline contacted me by phone anytime I had a question responded to all of my emails and got everything done as she promised.
Although It was only one department and one person that soured my feeling about Alternatives FCU, ,
I must admit Mrs Jackie has me raving about AFCU AGAIN. I’d yell it from the mountain top…
This place is stellar in a lot of aspects.
Here’s just a few
Mission, Culture, People, and Community.
I’m very happy to be a member of this very fine Financial institution.

Thanks again Mrs Jackie in Loans, your caring the torch Well