SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

I really love having an alternative to one of the «too big to fail» institutions. We got a fantastic rate on our used car loan and the people that work here are extremely friendly and helpful. The downside is that you have to find a 7Eleven and use the Citi machine or go to a branch which are few and far between if you want an ATM. At any rate it make sense to diversify accounts in an age of financial uncertainty.

We LOVED this branch!!! Krista and Anthony are and will forever be the BEST!!! We walked in and were immediately seen by Anthony. When we were seen we were greeted by Krista and her smile was welcoming and her handshake was STRONG! We are now full members of Schools First! Thank you guys so much!!! We came here all the way from West L. A because our co-​workers told us about it!

Schools First offers great programs with cursory service.
Here’s the abridged review…
Schools First can be explained with a Lord of the Rings analogy. In the LOTR series, the Dwarves were a difficult group that forged great weapons but their abrasive nature made business difficult. SCFU is staffed by a difficult collective that is fortunate enough to have a strong product as leverage.
This applies to the Torrance location as well as the one in Belmont Shore Long Beach.
In the end, it might have been easier to eat the 0.34% and go through the car dealership or my initial credit union. So far, the deficiencies in service have not been tolerable enough to enjoy the benefits. I’ve had better service at bigger, corporate establishments.

This is one of my favorite locations to bank at. On a quiet street in Old Torrance, I get that «small town small business» feel here. Parking is always available and I’ve never had a bad customer service experience here. I like that the employees know the school districts and schools in the area and can drop a «Oh, my daughter goes there,» or a «My mom used to work there,» line.
As for services, they have great interest rates for auto loans and also set up free Summer Saver account for that one month out of the year that some teachers don’t get paid. Direct deduction is totally free of fees as well — a great way to save your pennies without even thinking about it. 403b accounts are set up for teachers and they have advisers that customers can set up personal appointments with. I went to inquire about auto loans and they even have a free of charge car finding service that does all the haggling and paperwork for customers.
Love being a member!

I would have given this location 5 or 4 stars but I got some pretty bad customer service. Now a days for Unilocal reviews, I don’t just pay attention to the quality of the products the establishment provides or programs provided, I pay heavy attention to the quality of the staff.
Look, I get it, you’re working on
Christmas Eve, you deal with customers all day, Yadda Yadda, etc. etc. ive worked in retail and the food industry. Been there done that. Both of these job services come with the knowledge of having to deal with customers and issues. And you have to have the mindset that this comes with the job, so if you’re working in that position, you have to simply deal with it. Sometimes customers can be nice, and sometimes they can be so flustered that it can be hard to respond kindly. But regardless what end of the spectrum they are at, you have to handle it as best you can (obviously, if it’s really drastic, you can do otherwise). That’s what customer service is.
Now, had I been one of those annoying customers, I can understand the response I had received. But, I was kind, and was simply pointing out something that needed to be fixed. And I got the short end of the stick. I wasn’t infuriated or rude. My concerns were simply looked over and he talked back to me. A lady who works at this location helped me after, and was extremely nice. She took my concerns into consideration. It relieved me a little.
I might be taking this a little far, but in a day and age where selfish-​ness reigns and things are getting more chaotic, manners and good customer service matter more than ever. Just remember, if you’re guna grab the wolf by the ears, you better be ready for the consequences. And the same thing goes with the work place. One better be ready for the responsibilities at hand when it comes to working a customer service job.

Update: I did receive a call from the branch manager apologizing for the long wait and she reassured me that they are working on improving things. I appreciated the call and she even offered to compensate for my gas to which I politely decline because I felt the call was enough for me to believe that their priority is to provide excellent service to their members. Thank you!
I love SFCU but this branch needs some improvement. I came in to do the final paperwork for my auto loan and was told to have a seat and someone will be there shortly to help me. I waited for 30 min patiently and after 30 min I made eye contact with one of the employees to which he reassured me that someone will be with me soon. I waited for another 15 min and no help. I came up to the employee and told him I couldn’t wait any longer as I had errands to run. He apologized and said «sorry the manager is busy in a meeting». I couldn’t believe he couldn’t have told me this 45 min ago. Don’t tell customers someone will be with them shortly if that someone is busy in a meeting unless by shortly you mean 45+ min wait.

I had been a little stressed when I moved from OC to Torrance because I have been with Schools First (previously OCTFCU) since I was a kid. There aren’t a TON of branches in the south bay but enough to get me by. The added bonus of being with a Credit Union also means that I can usually find and ATM that wont charge me a fee.
At one point they had a super rude teller her, I don’t remember her name and it was kind of a turn off, I brag about Schools First all the time because their tellers are usually super friendly. She hasn’t been there in the last few months so that is nice. I will never switch banks, I never get any fees here and they gave me my first car loan and hopefully one day my own mortgage! If you have the opportunity to join Schools First, I’d go for it.

First off, I want to say Thank You to all of the staff that was present on February 14^th. I’ve never experienced compassionate employees before.
I went to this branch to make a transaction of course and to use the coinstar machine. When I walked into the branch, someone was using the coinstar. Typically it would be no big deal and you wait. I waited for 45 minutes! The person who was using the machine seen me waiting and just took her sweet time. I only continued to wait because I don’t live near this branch and I don’t come often. One of the tellers offered to take my change so I could leave, but the person was finished when she offered so I just did it myself.
Personally, I thought it was cool the teller offered to help me because she seen me when I walked in. I was also offered a fresh batch of cookies for my wait from another employee.
Overall, everyone in the bank at the time tried to help me in some way or another. They also apologized for my wait! This is how all banks should treat their members!
Thanks again to everyone!

They only had one bank teller at the time I walked in.
The customer ahead of me who was being helped was just
Chit chatting about his trip to Georgia. I waited patiently after a long
10 hr shift at work & rushing thru traffic. I ask if their was anybody else
That could help me. I had to wait for a bank teller to go on
Break & come back.
Wendy was rude & told me different methods of depositing
My check, so She wouldn’t have to do it.
She was impolite therefore being I will no longer bank with this credit union.

I love my credit union! I have never had a bad experience with them, I do not usually need to go to the branch and handle most my banking online. My ATM card expired so I decided to stop by this location. The staff was super friendly and efficient. They fixed all my issues quickly and effectively.