Which credit union has best customer service? Penfed vs Alliant vs SDFCU vs Other?

[Green456]

I currently use Wells Fargo for my reoccurring bills such as loan repayment, rent, utilities. I have Discover for other day to day charges and soon will replace it with Alliant CU. I have Penfed membership and will be using it for ladder CDs.
I am looking to replace WF with a credit union. WF has done well so far but I would rather support a credit union due to ethical reasons.
What credit union has best customer service, good phone support and reliability?

And I don’t qualify for navy federal.
Or should I just join a local one in my area that has a free standing branch?

[Medic981]

I am partial to NFCU. Never had a bad customer service experience with NFCU. I am lukewarm about Penfed as they didn't seem as focused to answer my questions as I would have liked. Penfed CSRs are either multitasking or using their smartphones when I am on the phone with them. As for Alliant or SDFCU, I have had no experience with them.

[Green456]

Unfortunately I don’t qualify for navy federal.

[Jnbmom]

Navy is my favorite Penfed is second and DCU are bleeping morons.

[Anonymous]

What credit union has best customer service, good phone support and reliability?

Based on personal experiences with Penfed and Alliant, they are both great. That being said, I use Alliant for day to day bill payments. Penfed is great for when you need to transfer money instantly into the Penfed Access America checking from another bank (instant credit is a perk after 6 months of joining). I think Penfed is better for potential credit offers since they give pre-approvals every quarter (if the person credit qualifies). I'm not sure about Alliant but I am sure that an inquiry is required to open a Penfed checking, unless you have a recent credit inquiry that Penfed will let you reuse.

I think customer service depends on if there are nearby branches, especially for Penfed. Although Alliant is located mostly in Illinois, there is a Co-Op system so that you can use a local credit union to withdraw from Alliant. Penfed, to my knowledge, has a more limited ATM/branch network.

Phone support varies and I rarely call in but when I have, Alliant and Penfed representatives are both pretty receptive. Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

Where are you located?  Do you expect to ever go to the CU in person?  I have not been to most of my banking establishments.  I have a local CU I use for the rare occasion that I have a physical check or cash to deposit.  It is linked to my Alliant and from there I shoot the money to wherever I want it to go.

Why are you looking for customer service?  Mortgage or auto loan shopping?  Or?

[DaveInAZ]

Customer service is about the lowest criteria for me when choosing a credit union or bank because I almost never use it, if they have their online service setup well you never need a live person. My criteria for choosing a CU or bank is:

- No fee, no minimum balance accounts

- Fast processing of external ACH transfers and Bill Pay

- Good credit products

- Good interest on accounts

With that criteria, my banking is with:

1. Memory Bank (online only division of Republic Bank)

- No fee, no minimum balance checking & money market accounts, 1.6% interest on checking, 2.25% on MM.

2. DCU (Digital Credit Union)

- No fee, no min. balance free checking, 5.12% on the first $1k in savings, 2.99% 65 month used car loan (obtained 10/17), same day posting for Bill Pay

3. Penfed CU

- Prime rate +0% (currently 5.25%) on 80% LTV (Loan to Value)  Home Equity Line of Credit

4. Vantage West (local southern AZ CU)

- 5% Rewards on category you chose Visa CC, came close to matching DCU on the car loan

And while customer service is low priority criteria for me, I banked with Wells Fargo from 1999-2010 and wonder now how I put up with them for so long, they have some of the worst customer service I've ever encountered.

[Green456]

I am moving out of NJ next year. I don't know where yet. Probably 2 years from now I will be buying a house.

In terms of customer serivce expectations. Let me give you an example of customer service failure. My wife calls in BoA and tells them that she is going to Paris, France 2 weeks from now. Gives them dates, etc. Then 2 weeks later we run out of cash, we go to ATM and her debit card does not work. She is unable to get money and is stuck in Paris without cash. Luckily she was stuck with me and I don't have BoA. I was able to get all the cash I needed to get us to the Airport.

I don't call my bank a lot but when I do then I want things done the first time around. Not like Verizon, Optimum or BoA.

[Anonymous]

Charles Schwab investment checking debit Visa card provides fee-free international ATM withdrawals. Need to make an investment account but do not need to invest into it. Might be a better option than another CU if you travel?

[Anonymous]

Definitely not PenFed.