Looking Back

HOBOKEN, N.J. — With the tail end of the 2008 Olympics underway in Beijing, Credit Union Times looks back 12 years to the 1996 Olympic Games that were held in Atlanta.

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.