Immediate support for any credit union affected by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita
 

GDS is offering immediate and free assistance for any credit unions affected by the hurricanes.  You do not have to be a customer of GDS to take advantage of this offer.

Any credit union that has lost its building or has experienced a disruption in data processing services for members is invited to contact GDS for immediate support:

• Help Desk (Toll Free):  800-293-7554  Ext. 229
   

• Leo Vaulin (cellphone):  251-604-0659
   

• Jeanne Croom (cellphone):  251-605-3365
   

• Bernie Desrosiers:   800-293-7554 x222

At no charge, we will assist you with the following services:

• Reach out to your Members via Voice-Response, On-Line Banking, and your Website

Even if your offices have been damaged, you can still reach out to your members using Voice-Response and the Internet.  We can provide voice-response and on-line banking services to allow your members to check balances, verify direct deposits of payrolls or retirement checks, and transfer funds.  We can also host your website and e-mail accounts, to ensure that you maintain communication with your members.

• Draft and ACH Processing

If your data processing system is unable to receive transmissions of drafts or ACH from your Corporate CU or the Fed, GDS can step in to help process these transactions and manage any returns in a timely manner.

• Payroll Processing and Loans

Getting funds to your members in need is a priority during these trying times.  We can assist with payroll processing and expediting loan application and approval.

• "Branch in a Box"

Since our entire system is easily accessible over any type of internet connection, even dial-up, we can help you set up a remote branch anywhere you can find a phone line and a power supply.  Use this as a temporary branch, or set up an outreach program to go where your members need you.

• Accounting and Back-Office Support

Your staff will be busy serving members and getting their own lives back together.  GDS can assist with back-office support, including accounting services such as balancing your G/L, reconciling your Corporate account, managing Fixed Assets and assisting you with claims and recovery efforts.

• Data and Systems Recovery

If your office and its computer systems have been destroyed, we can help you recover your data and help you restore your files and resume operations.  Our staff has assisted credit unions who had nothing but paper records to work from.  We have the ability to scan and recreate data from reports, statements, text files, or back-up disks.  We have converted data from many different vendors including FedComp, CUSA, EPL, EDS, and FiServ.  Please give us a call to discuss the details.

This offer is extended to all credit unions affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - it is not limited to GDS customers.  If you are using a different data processing system, GDS can work with the data from your system.

For example, Navigator CU, Mississippi's largest state-chartered credit union based in Pascagoula, turned to GDS when many of their branches, including their central office, were flooded.  Navigator's primary goal was to make information available to over 32,000 members, many of whom were also displaced by the storm.

GDS was able to establish a Call Center with an 800- number for members to speak to member service representatives.  Ordering new phone lines on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is very difficult at this time, and requires a long wait.  Our office in Mobile was able to set up 6 new lines for Navigator's MSR's overnight. 

In order to take some of the burden off the MSR's, and provide 24-hour access to account information, GDS provided Navigator with our OnCUe on-line banking service.  Data was converted from Navigator's Symitar system and moved to the GDS OnCUe server for easy member access.

Read more about the Navigator CU recovery story by clicking here.