Credit unions in the Atlanta area had planned for the worst in terms of the impact the games would have on their member service. Credit unions in downtown Atlanta adjusted their work hours to make sure that their staffs would be able to get to work before the Olympic Ring was closed to traffic. Most credit unions also reported that traffic in their downtown branches was lighter than usual during the Olympics. Credit unions also encouraged members to use electronic services to avoid visiting any branches downtown. Due to the warnings of traffic problems that were generated before the games started, Federal Employees Credit Union Vice President of Marketing Glenn Miller said that with all the hype, most people stayed home or took vacations.
Georgia Telco Credit Union took advantage of the games being held in Atlanta as a marketing opportunity and ran a car loan promotion as an incentive to draw members into the credit union while the games were going on. The car dealer who sponsored the promotion said he booked approximately 50 car loans during the promotion, which was more than he expected.
Assistant vice president of marketing at Georgia Telco Barbara Takacs volunteered as a motor pool driver while the games were in Atlanta. Takacs was responsible for transporting athletes to Olympic venues and for driving international VIPs anywhere they wanted to go. One of the highlights of her time spent volunteering was a conversation she had with the German water polo team about her work at the credit union. Takacs said she was surprised that they knew what credit unions were all about.
