Customer Notice – Change to services

Important changes to services from Monday 23rd March

We are working very hard to provide as normal service as is practical during this current covid-19 crisis.   Like many business we are going to have to adapt and temporarily make changes in the way we work in order to protect the health and well-being of everyone.

We ask that you only visit the premises if you have to for cash, if you don’t have a bank account for us to do a BACS payment to or you haven’t got an Engage card or it hasn’t arrived yet.  We hope that if you have to visit our premises you will adhere to the safety precautions we are going to put in place from tomorrow, Monday 23rd March.  For example if you are coming in for a cash we ask that you keep at least a distance of one metre between yourself and others.   We also ask that, if you can, you come alone to our premises to reduce the footfall into our office. Please note we will be limiting the number of members in the premises at any one time.  If you have any concerns, for example, self isolating with your children at home but need to withdraw cash, please contact us so we can discuss your circumstances with you and the options available.

All other services such as enquiries, applications to appy for an Engage card, setting up a bank account to send BACS payments to your bank, LASER loans and Crisis loans please do not visit the office, but contact us by mobile app secure message, by email at enquiries@lasercu.org.uk or by telephone on 01709 836500 or by our website.

We urge all members to apply for services using our mobile app or website. Please note that this is not yet set up for Engage card but we can take applications over the phone.

There will temporarily be no appointments booked in or face to face enquiries at the “open” desks. We will have two members of staff at all times in the cashiers area. All other admin staff will be answering your calls, emails and mobile app and website requests. Loans Officers will be contacting you about your loan applications and arranging RMAIL (e-signature signage)of loan agreements.

All top up loans will be done by RMAIL (electronic signature of loan agreement by email) and anyone wishing to access the Crisis loan service will have their telephone numbers taken and will be called back.  The process will then be done by RMAIL. If you do not have access to the internet or email then please contact us to discuss this and we will look at alternative options such as postal agreements or signing at the cashiers desk.

At the moment all new loans for new members are on hold so please  bear with us while we finalise a process that will ensure we can do on-line identification and verification.  We hope we can do this by the end of next week.

If we can all work together during this crisis we will endeavour to keep our doors open but as you are aware with the ever changing nature of this situation we may have no choice but to work from behind  closed doors and or have members of staff work from home so please use the services available to you by telephone, email, mobile app and website, RMAIL – e-signing of loan agreements.

We are lucky, all staff are working and coming in on extra days to help with maintaining our services as normal as possible. We know the phone lines are busy and it isn’t always easy to get through but all calls and numbers are logged on our telephone system and we will phone you back, even if you don’t leave a voicemail message.

All of us at LASER value your membership and we want you to know that we have your best interests at heart and hope that you understand this and we can all work together through this.

Thank You