Dear GreenStone Partner:
A week ago, GreenStone celebrated with you our 15th year of partnering with members through patronage returns. Today, we’re experiencing much different conditions as we adapt to the rapid changes around us as a result of COVID-19. Know that regardless of the circumstances, your cooperative’s mission and partnership remain constant.
I, with our entire GreenStone team, recognize the scope of our responsibility to you – to support our rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services, today and tomorrow. While the weeks and months ahead hold many unknowns, we are committed to providing a clear path of service and support to both our customers and employees.
Committed and Flexible
This is a critical time for many of our members; farmers are preparing to take their first trek across the fields, families are searching for the perfect home to plant roots in the country, and businesses are looking to close their 2019 tax books.
Whatever your needs, we remain dedicated to ensuring you have access to credit and financial services. Change may be necessary, and we’re working proactively to be here for you through it all. If you anticipate financial challenges as a result of the epidemic's impact, we ask you to also be proactive in reaching out to us. We are devoted to helping families and farm businesses find viable solutions, including those members impacted by current challenges. We are a cooperative committed to our more than 25,000 members and 550 employees; we care about and know we have a deep responsibility to each of you.
Protection and Service
The health of our employees and customers, along with our ability to serve customers’ needs, are top priorities for GreenStone. Last week we shared many of the precautions we have in place to help protect our employees and communities. As circumstances change, we will responsibly follow recommendations to safeguard our employees and customers and use an abundance of caution in our business operations to help prevent the spread of illness. Our mission leads us to balance the health of our customers and employees with customer needs and corporate responsibility.
At this time, we are working to keep our offices open to service customer’s needs, although may temporarily close a branch for sanitization and cleaning. owever, we are limiting close personal contact and will have a reduced team in each branch, with many teammates working remotely. (3/20 Update: Teams are now working remotely, with branch buildings closed; please call for remote assistance.)
We ask you to allow us to work with you through these alternative options:
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Meetings: We are meeting customers virtually by phone and video. When absolutely necessary, we will coordinate a meeting by appointment. Please call before visiting the branch to schedule an appointment to ensure appropriate teammates are available. (3/20 Update: Teams are now working remotely, with branch buildings closed; please call for remote assistance.)
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My Access: Through online banking, you can monitor your account, make online payments, and deposit checks using the online banking app. Through the file exchange feature, you can also securely send and receive documents with any GreenStone employee.
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Transactions & Documents: Payments can also be made online, by phone, in the mail, or left in branch offices’ drop boxes. Documents can also be sent securely using My Access and DocuSign, mailed to the branch, or left in our branch office drop box.
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eConsent: Sign eConsent to allow us to provide necessary documents and disclosures to you electronically, including those requiring signature using DocuSign. We can email you the eConsent form for electronic signature or you can access it in My Access.
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Communication: When our teammates are working remotely, their office phones have been forwarded to staff cell phones, and employees remain available through email.
Reality and Partnership
When we activated our business continuity plan, we also began proactively “pressure testing” the actions we may one day need to implement. As a result, we believe our team is fully prepared to provide all services regulatorily allowed remotely. That said, we also admit this is a unique situation, one we don’t operate within daily, and therefore I ask for your patience and understanding in what we recognize could be a less refined customer experience during these uncharted times.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will make appropriate adjustments based on supporting the health and service of our members and employees. Please check our website and social media (Facebook and Twitter) for updates as recommendations require adjustments to our actions. If you need any assistance with the above customer service options, call your local branch at 800-444-3276 or use our technical support line at 855-895-2761.
The daily routine for each of us has changed, yet our service and commitment to you remains constant. Our staff are prepared with the technology and tools to maintain our partnership with you, and are ready to serve our customers in a manner that we hope will contribute the least impact on any challenges you may be facing today.
In cooperative partnership,
Dave Armstrong
Former President and CEO
GreenStone Cares About Your Health and Well-Being (Published 3/13/2020) As we monitor the development of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and all new and ongoing health concerns, we continue to take precautions focused on the priorities of the health of our employees and customers, along with the continual ability to serve customers’ needs. We have steps in place to avoid potential disruptions to serving our customers should additional precautions be necessary.
GreenStone Buildings to Close, Business is Open (Published 3/20/2020) To protect the health of our customers and our employees, and in recognition of local and national recommendations, GreenStone is taking steps and using the full breadth of our technology and tools to safely serve your needs remotely. Starting Monday, March 23, 2020, GreenStone will be ‘open’ for business with our staff working remotely, but our office buildings will be temporarily closed.
