Volume 2
JULY 2018
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO
VM’s PASSBOOK POLICY
VM TAKES ON THE
BIG APPLE
Brought to you by:
YOUR CUSTOMER OBSESSED TEAM
STRONG INTEGRATED FINANCIAL GROUP • MODERN MUTUAL • EMPLOYER OF CHOICE • MODEL CORPORATE CITIZEN
INTRODUCTION 3
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our Victoria Mutual continues to make big moves to help you achieve financial independence. Inside Your VM captures the big news that you might have missed. We look forward to your usual feedback. Drop us a line at feedback@vmbs.com and share your thoughts. Enjoy!
Customer Service Awards
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Important Update to VM’s Passbook Policy
5 VM Takes on the Big Apple
6 2018 UK Tour
8 One Month Two AGMs!
CONTENTS
9 Up Next for the VM Foundation
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS T
he Victoria Mutual Group (VM) dominated the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica/Jamaica Customer Service Association (PSOJ/JaCSA) Awards ceremony on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 – winning six category awards and the biggest prize of the day, the Large Company Award. This is a major win for VM which this year celebrates its 140th anniversary. Group Chief Customer and Brand Officer Judith Forth Blake said the win means a lot for the VM Brand. “This is a win for the entire VM Group team and validation of the work we have been doing over the past year and a half to enhance our service experience,” she said. “The JaCSA award selection process was robust. They chose us as winners based not just on what we submitted, but also on what they saw for themselves. They made on-site visits, interviewed and interacted with our Team Members at various levels. That gives me great confidence and proves that we are on the right track.” She also noted that there is still a lot more work being done to enhance the experience at all our touchpoints, as we continually set higher standards for ourselves. Manager – Group Customer Experience Denise Williams, said she was thrilled with VM’s outstanding haul. “I’m super excited! Winning this award was a collaborative effort and it proves that together we can achieve anything,” she said. “Winning these awards also helps us to build trust and demonstrates that VM is ready and able to deliver for our individual, retail and business customers. Our leadership - led by our President Courtney Campbell - has really driven the message that our Customers are the most important part of our business. We really have the best Team. When we work together we can achieve anything!”
2018 SERVICE EXCELLENCE - LARGE COMPANY AWARD CATEGORY AWARDS: »»
Leadership and Strategy Award
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International Benchmarks Award
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Monitoring and Measurements Award
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Complaints Management Award
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Recognition Award
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Training and Capacity Building Award VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
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IMPORTANT UPDATE TO
VM’S PASSBOOK POLICY I
n keeping with our vision to be the leading Caribbean-based Mutual provider of financial services, The Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) is committed to enhancing the services we offer to you, our valued Members. Effective August 2, 2018, we wish to advise that passbooks are no longer required to process withdrawals from your savings accounts. This means that all account holders will be able to process withdrawals on savings accounts without presenting a passbook. Members who do not wish to have all account holders having unlimited access to the funds in their passbook account are being asked to visit their closest VMBS Branch and effect the necessary changes. With this change, Passbook account holders will now be able to process the following transactions and more from anywhere via VM Express Online:
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View account balances
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Transfer funds between VMBS accounts of the same currency
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Make payments accounts
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Third-party transfers
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Pay bills to select vendors as well as set and receive alerts
to
VMBS
loan
REGISTER FOR ONLINE BANKING TODAY To register, follow these steps: 1. Visit the Victoria Mutual website http://www. vmbs.com 2. Click the word ‘Register’ in the Express Online icon located near the top right hand of the page and follow the simple instructions. Please note that all Members who participate in VM Express Online Banking must have upto-date customer information. 3. VM Express Online Member Support As with any Internet banking service, you may need support from time to time. Please direct all queries or requests related to VM Express Online Banking to the VMBS Member Care Centre at 1-888-937-VMBS(8627) (JAMAICA), 1-866-967-VMBS(8627) (USA) and 0-800-068VMBS(8627) (UK). You may also get support from the Online chat facility on our website http://www.vmbs.com.
You are encouraged to sign up for an ABM card the next time you visit any VMBS Branch and register for our Online Banking service.
Please note that Members who wish to retain their passbooks will be allowed to do so. Also, the signing mandate on the account will govern all withdrawals.
If you are not already registered for VM Express Online, the process is very simple and can be done via our website.
We thank you for choosing Victoria Mutual as your financial independence partner. We look forward to continuing to serve you.
VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
VM TAKES ON THE BIG APPLE Y
our Victoria Mutual Building Society has secured regulatory approval for an office in New York in the United States and will be opening in Brooklyn soon.
VMBS currently has 15 branches in Jamaica, three representative offices in the United Kingdom and one in Florida. “Jamaicans in the tri-state area account for a significant segment of our portfolio. They are already saving and borrowing with us, but the office will be for those who appreciate personal interaction,� VM Group President & CEO Courtney Campbell said. The announcement was made at the VMBS 139th annual general meeting. Campbell said the Brooklyn office will be run from leased space and will have a staff of two. He noted that a representative office is unlike a full service branch in that offers limited services and accounts cannot be opened.
PLUS, IN LOCAL NEWS: We are also building out new office space in Fairview, Montego Bay and will open the 16th branch in December, while keeping open our Market Street offices in the city.
VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
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2018 UK TOUR
V
M Leaders travelled to the UK for the annual Victoria Mutual Listening Tour from June 15-23, 2018. The Tour was well received with lots of Members turning out at Town Hall Meetings. Our leaders also participated in the sixth Biennial Jamaican Diaspora UK Conference which was held under the theme ‘Staying Power - 70 years of the Windrush Jamaican Diaspora’. Our President and CEO Courtney Campbell was a panellist for a session focused on investment opportunities for Members of the Diaspora. Head of Building Society Operations Peter Reid made a presentation on the products and services offered by the VM Group. Key Government agencies including the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) also attended to engage members of the Diaspora. Senator The Honourable Pearnel Charles Jr, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs was also a special guest at the event. The VM Team also attended a Windrush 70th anniversary church service held at the historic Westminster Abbey.
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VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
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ONE MONTH
TWO AGMs! H
istory was created by your Victoria Mutual Group in May with the staging of two Annual General Meetings in one month. Victoria Mutual Investments Limited (VMIL) held its first AGM at the Knutsford Court Hotel on May 29. Two days later, on May 31 it was time for the Victoria Mutual Building Society’s AGM at the Pegasus hotel. Both AGMs were successful and afforded Members the opportunity to get an in-person update on the operations of their business. News from both AGMs was shared in real time online via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, new ground was broken at the VMBS AGM as it was, for the first time ever, streamed live via Facebook. Members who logged on to the live stream even had some of their questions answered by speakers at the AGM. The VMBS AGM also broke attendance records, with close to 1,000 Members turning up for the meeting. Victoria Mutual thanks you, our Valued Members for your show of support. We are sharing photos of the meetings here. Take a look, you may even see yourself!
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VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
UP NEXT FOR THE VM FOUNDATION In our last issue we informed that the The Victoria Mutual Foundation was launched in May at the Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew with its mission to improve the quality of life of Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora. Additionally it will focus on youth empowerment; leadership and nation building; and health and family. Now that the Foundation has been launched, what’s up next?
VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
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Social Enterprise in Secondary Schools (SESS) Project - The British Council and VM Foundation Team has started the rounds at the six pilot schools for the Social Enterprise in Secondary Schools (SESS) Project. »»
The six schools will develop their Social Enterprise in September 2018
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Teachers from selected schools will be trained in September.
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A second training session will be held for the VM Team Mentors with a focus on Volunteerism and Mentorship
VM Foundation Scholarship August 2018
Awards Ceremony in
Resource Mobilisation for Parent-Teachers Associations. We will be working with schools to strengthen capacity of PTAs to do Resource mobilisation. To date we have selected three pilot schools including Holy Childhood High School. This new programme seeks to build the capacity of PTAs and schools to understand resource mobilisation techniques and to build skills around identifying resource gaps and the best ways to fill them. The Victoria Mutual/ Ministry of Health Adopt-A-Clinic Project was a feature of VM Let’s Talk Community Series in the UK. Members of the Diaspora learnt how they can assist with raising funds needed to support the nation’s clinics
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VM MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE
That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? To make these events a reality we need your support whether through time or monetary contributions. For information on how to volunteer with the VM Foundation email foundation@vmbs.com. Donations may be made to VMBS account number 401844515.
We want to hear from you! Please continue to share feedback and suggestions via email at manager@vmbs.com