Patelco Credit Union

This is more a review of the HELOC customer service vs the person at Novato who was nice on the phone. I wrote 2 checks from my line of credit to my contractor with no problem. He went to BofA to cash the 3^rd check, won’t clear. He drives from Mill Valley to Novato to a Patelco Branch and he and I are informed that I need to call verify that the check is valid. This is stated nowhere on the complimentary checks that I received that encourage Home Improvement financing through HELOC (more interest for them). I lost 2 days of work from it.

This was my first experience with Patelco. I had never even heard of them until we were looking for a car loan. Lisa went above and beyond to help us. She really could have just told us to come back when we were ready but worked with us and waited until we got everything she needed. Super nice to actually have a good experience like that once in awhile!

I banked with Patelco’s Oakland branches for several years, and they were fine. But beware of the Novato branch! The banker who helped me was so randomly rude and patronizing it was kind of a surreal experience!

Even if they weren’t the final branch to process my auto loan they were very patience and helpful with the questions and delays we had with the purchase.
Lisa and Meredith were the two I worked with. Not once did it seem like I was bothering them or did I ever feel rush by them. They gave superb customer service. They took my phone calls and talked/​helped me with my dilemma. They never told me to contact customer service. They were a one stop shop. Willing to give me a call back after their research.
I’ve been in the customer service field and banking and I know when I see bad service.

I’ve been with Patelco for 30 years, almost 20 at the Novato branch. Patelco grew from a small, sometimes wobbly organization to a totally professional, totally reliable credit union. I’ve found their small Novato office staff friendly, hard working, always polite and helpful to customers. They know their stuff and know who to ask for help when they don’t. I’ve used a half dozen of their many services from a line of credit, to IRA and CD’s, to others, and never been disappointed. My friends who have joined at my suggestion have also been happy with them. I am so glad to have this as an alternative to a bank.

Unilocal deleted my review AGAIN!!! Here was my original post (I just deleted the last sentence bcuz I’m sure the Loan Officer read it already LOL!)
This review is for Charlotte Briseno the «Member Service Officer» or Loan Officer. She sits right at the front desk and is an old, rude lady. I walked in to this branch on a Saturday afternoon around 1:15pm and I was not greeted nor asked if I needed any assistance. So finally, when I spoke up, she talked back to me with an attitude and her tone of voice was just unacceptable. Being a credit union, I was pretty shocked because I thought «Credit Unions» were all about Customer Service. But clearly, Charlotte was not in the mood nor willing to help me out and kept repeating, «We close at 2pm!» DUH BITCH, I know that… but it was 1 fuckin 15 in the afternoon.

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been a Patelco member for 25 years and Novato is not my local branch.
New staff training would seem to be somewhat lacking here. I received acct. balances for NOT my acct. which was startling given that the balance communicated to me was virtually nil, so I stood there in a bit of shock wondering who had siphoned all the money from my account. When I then calmly stated that this account could not possibly be mine because of the low balance, I was met with a slight shrug and what appeared to be indifference in the form of no response from the teller-​in-​training. I pressed a bit and when it was then determined that the teller had indeed given me someone else’s acct. information, no apology was extended by either the teller or the other employee who was partially over-​seeing the transaction. It is amazing how an an ‘I’m sorry’ does actually go a long way. The absence of one is quite the opposite, of course.
Update-​just found out the ‘hard way’ that something I had requested be done that day at Patelco was in fact not done. Another huge ‘Boo!’ to you, Novato branch.

I have been coming to this branch for 5+ years. I have an account with another credit union and even still I am treated like one of their own members. The tellers/​bankers have always been nothing but friendly and courteous to me. I have had bad expierences with other banks in the past, and this branch is a great reminder as to why I switched banks. It is small bank and never usually a line when I go in there=)

I have used Patelco and specifically the Novato branch now for many years and they have always been exceptionally polite, professional, and helpful when needed. I think this is something that has been lost on a lot of banks in recent years so I’m pleased to be able to say it and bank with them. I highly recommend.

I was passing through town on business and was pleasantly suprised to find this Patelco Credit Union. My credit union allows me to share their ATM and services. I would not have expected a Patelco to be in the area, but I was glad to have found them.

Even though I am not a member, I’ve used it on multiple occasions because they have a agreement with my own credit union that allows them to «share» services for free. They have always been very friendly and efficient, treating me as «one of their own». The longest line I ever stood in was with 2 people in front of me and that didn’t take long at all.

Exceptionally tiny branch. So unassuming, I’ve walked past it several times trying to find it. Very nice and attentive staff, but the space is so small, people seem to prefer banking at the teller machine rather than crowding inside to wait in line.