At Your Service

By Amy Cross | March 3, 2021

When we say our members are the mission, we mean it. That idea is central to our corporate values:

• We Serve With Compassion
• We Put Members First
• We Champion Community

Having just reached 10 million members, I sat down with Susan Brooks, senior vice president of our contact center, to hear how these values show up in the work her team does for members like you.

Serving With Compassion

Compassionate service goes beyond knowing members’ names and ranks. It’s understanding and caring about what’s important to them. All of our employees keep compassion in mind in the work they do to support our members. For Susan’s team, that means bringing empathy to all of their interactions. “When a member calls us, we understand this is likely happening to them for the first time. Even if it’s not the first time we’re receiving a similar request, we recognize the significance of the situation. Our members are important to us—we listen, we hear and we ensure that we’ll help them, no matter the reason they’re reaching out.”

In her role, she sees that kind of connection every day. Susan acknowledged that her team knows it’s been a trying year for many. “Calling us may be the only time someone can confide what they’re experiencing,” she explained. “We’re here to listen and understand—to offer the tools they need to keep going.”

Putting Members First

As a not-for-profit credit union, we strive to do what’s right for our membership as a whole, so we can bring real value to each and every member.

A big piece of that is our Personal Financial Counseling service, which can help with anything from goal setting to financial recovery. Beyond that, it’s connecting you with resources like our Security Center or MakingCents podcast. “We want to make sure the support and guidance doesn’t end when the phone call does,” she added.

Putting members first is foundational to who we are. “In the 28 years I’ve been part of the credit union, I’ve seen a lot of growth and evolution,” Susan shared. “We’re here to be ‘of service’ to members—and that’s something that’s never going to change.”

“Being not-for-profit, the actions we take aren’t determined by profit margins. They’re made with members in mind,” she said. To go deeper, that means earnings come back to you through dividends, reduced loan rates and better products and services. “As a member-owned organization, we’re honored each time someone choses us to be their preferred financial institution. By joining Navy Federal, members become the owners of their pursuit of financial health,” Susan explained.

Championing Community

We’re dedicated to embracing and celebrating diversity and inclusion, and to fostering financial health and well-being for the military, veterans, their families and those in all the communities we serve. Because as a community, we’re stronger together.

That same spirit comes into play in how we champion community, working with over 170 different groups connected to causes we care about. In 2020, we proudly partnered with organizations that support servicemembers, military families, transitioning military and veterans—including Operation Gratitude, Operation Homefront, Our Community Salutes, American Freedom Foundation, Hire Heroes USA, U.S. Vets and The Honor Foundation.

We also partner with organizations like the United Way, the Community Foundations of Northern VA Latino Engagement and Achievement Fund and the Urban League. Each of these organizations offers different types of community support, whether it’s financial wellness, diversity and inclusion or COVID-19 assistance. Working with them allows us to make an even bigger impact on the communities we live and work in.

On Susan’s team, they make things personal. “Our team looks to match passions with opportunities to give back,” she said. “They’re also part of the communities we serve. Many are former military themselves. They understand the unique challenges faced because they have similar experiences.”

As our membership grows, these values keep us grounded. Your financial health is our top priority, always. Susan and her U.S.-based member service team are here for you 24/7, and so are all of us here at Navy Federal.

Amy is the editor for our Marketing Communications team, working to strengthen the messaging behind our member outreach. She’s been with Navy Federal for three years and lives in Richmond, Va. with her husband and cat.