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Credit Union Crisis
A financial institution reaches out to customers during a national disaster
Challenge
In September 2008, the Texas Gulf Coast braced for impact as Hurricane Ike barreled towards the state. Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) was preparing to continue its service to members during the hurricane and its aftermath. TDECU came to GDC for its knowledge of crisis communications strategy and finance to keep its members informed of their finances and assistance options through this critical time.
Action
Within a very narrow window of time, GDC worked with TDECU to plan and implement a full-scale crisis response with public relations and media services.
- Notified members how to access their accounts for evacuation and about TDECU’s emergency financial recovery tools
- Distributed news and informational materials throughout possible evacuation destinations
- Issued press releases to educate members about the Skip-A-Pay program, which allowed members to forego their loan payments for up to two months
Result
Within the first day of crisis outreach, more than 2,000 members signed up for the Skip-A-Pay program. In the aftermath of the storm, TDECU received numerous calls and letters from its members expressing their gratitude for assistance during this difficult time. Today, TDECU proudly points to its Hurricane Ike crisis response as one of the company’s defining moments in its 54-year history.
