Our goal is to make your visit to any VyStar branch the easiest part of your day—because it’s the most important part of ours. We know life gets busy, and out of respect for your time, we design our branches with your convenience in mind, ensuring that your visits are as productive and efficient as possible.
From the moment you walk through the front door, our friendly staff members are ready to assist you. Our branches are also equipped with the latest technology—including tablets, interactive displays, electronic community event calendars and more—for people who would like to quickly and easily find information about our products, rates and services for themselves.
Whatever you need, we want your branch experience to feel easy and seamless. That’s why we carefully plan and execute every step along the way when we’re establishing a new VyStar branch.
The Building
When we open a new branch, we purchase the land anywhere from one to three years in advance. We choose our locations carefully, focusing on the areas that will be most convenient for our current and future members.
Once we’ve selected a location, there are several steps to completing the purchase, including an inspection period, closing the sale and getting the construction permits. Finding and purchasing the land can take up to a year. Once we’re ready to start building, the physical construction of a new branch typically takes seven to eight months.
In some cases, we purchase existing branches from other financial institutions or lease existing properties, instead of building from scratch. These methods can save some time and allow us to get a new branch up and running within a year.
Once the building is complete, it takes another month to hire and train the staff, order and receive supplies, put up signage and set up the ATMs before the branch opening.
The People
During the months before the branch opens, we search for candidates for the leadership team and staff, focusing on people who are dedicated to providing high-quality service. Once they’re selected, our branch employees attend several phases of training—including technical, product, service and sales training.
The branch leadership team is also introduced to influential groups in the community they are serving, such as the local chamber of commerce, business members, city officials and more. When everything is complete, the branch is ready to open to the public.
The Future
We’re currently working through a seven-year plan for branch expansion, which is reviewed and revised each year by our Board of Directors and senior leadership team. The process includes a thorough review of each area being considered, including the needs, demographics and growth potential of local businesses and the community. Our team is always looking for ways to improve our branch design and the overall experience for our members.
If you don’t have time to visit us in person, you can always use VyChat to chat with us online, or call our Contact Center any day of the week, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at 904-777-6000 or 800-445-6289. But we hope you’ll stop in and see us, at least once in a while! Our branches play a crucial role in helping us achieve our most important goal — serving our members in the best possible way.
Chad Meadows
Executive Vice President/COO
VyStar Credit Union