LBS Financial Credit Union

Started banking with them recently. My experience of opening my account wasn’t the best customer service i recieved. The lady helping me looked like she didn’t want to be there. She didn’t smile the whole time she was helping me. Every time she explained something she was talking too fast & almost seemed like she had an attitude. She didn’t even explain to me what my benefits were of having an account with them, she honestly just handed me a brochure & handed it to me not in a nice way. She didn’t even try to make a conversation with me at all. Not quite sure why she works there & happens to be a bank opener for people. If u ask me, it gives the wrong impression to new customers. Her name is Ebony Russell. So if you plan on opening account, i’d suggest asking for someone else who might be more helpful & alive.

I have been doing business with lbs since they are the credit union for Cal State Long Beach alumni. After two loans and two accounts I have to say I do not recommend them. Their interest rates are just too high and they only cater to people with excellent credit. They are not interested in doing business with small business owners. There are other credit unions that will treat customers much better.

Amazing credit union. I’ve tried to switch banks before but I decide not too. I use to go to the one located next to Wilson High but since I moved I go to this one. I highly recommend both locations! Staff are very professional. Thanks guys!

I prefer the walk up window or the outside ATM it’s usually pretty quick I’m in and out if there they have those omg days but overall its a short wait in line and the armed security guard on staff is a plus saving me and my money from the bad guys who might be lurking in the area.
Outside of the bank
This time of the year the lines are very long especially as you get closer to Christmas I just go with the flow being irritated at the teller is not cool they are working to help us and they type pretty fast.
Inside the bank
It’s small the tellers are very friendly if you have other banking needs the wait is not too bad I kick back and watch tv or Unilocal while I wait to speak to a rep.
Overall
I rate the Bixby branch as one of the best in the area they have home teller which I use all the time my daughter uses the online services and loves it!
They have great hours and pretty good parking spots.
If you need longer hours run over to the Lakewood branch they have a walk up window that can take care of you.
I amended this review up one notch they really deserve 5 stars I have banked with them since they were on Long Beach blvd and I’m still here at this one on Atlantic almost 23 years later.
My daughter and I have never had a problem at this bank she has had an account since she was 6 and she is now 28 we will never leave LBSFCU.
FYI
They have several places to visit within the complex Von’s, a Beauty supply store, a Chinese restaurant, International house of pancakes, Rite aid and more.

This is NOT my credit union but they are a shared branch and considering mine is a 35 minute drive I come here for the convenience.
The good–
Lots of parking
Rite-​Aid next door, ice cream while you wait, you will wait.
The clerks inside are usually pleasant and move quickly.
The bad–
No one this lot can park, seriously.
There’s a group of younger boys that hang out and ask you to donate to their football, college, bail money etc fund. Pretty annoying
The ugly–
Holy cow Batman, the gals who work the outside window at this branch are so slooooooooooooooooooooooow (yes, that slow) they delay everything by talking to everyone. So expect to wait forever listening to their weekend plans and such.

***½
I «bank» here only because I don’t want to support greedy banks who are corrupt/​take bail-​outs/​etc. The ATM does not work at times. They are not opened on Sundays and the staff has extended holiday days off (like Christmas eve) so I cannot reach them on days like this. But the staff is usually friendly, at least.

I truly only prefer the ATM or the inside tellers at this credit union and today proved my point once again… The line moved so slow for the outside window this afternoon, I think everyone in line was upset, but as I observed I happen to see that only one of the two tellers were actually moving with a since of urgency by being fast and efficient (Teller with a beige vest and white shirt), the other teller with a black cami and burgundy top moved like a lil snail who either was not very proficient or just lacked the since of urgency with her customers. The teller that was proficient and moving with a since of urgency I can bet saw way more customers and had way more teller transactions for the day than her counter part. I will continue to avoid this outside window teller service in the future. LBS, if you have tellers who seem to never have a since of urgency in ensuring your customers are helped in a timely manner banking is not for them. I worked retail banking (mgt) for 7 years and that teller would have never made the cut. IJS

Wow! My experience with LBSFCU just keeps getting better… not!
First of all, the sign that says enter through the back door needs to be bigger! Why they don’t open their front door is a mystery to me since the waiting area is in there. So if you enter from the back door, you have to walk all the way to the back.
A little back story, we ended up here because our debit cards finally came in but didn’t have a PIN number. When we first signed up, we were told that the cards would actually come with a preset PIN. It didn’t and there was no number to call so we had to come in and set our PIN.
We were welcomed by two women who were chitchatting in the reception desk. We told them we needed our PIN numbers. One of them asked for our account number then told us to wait in the lobby, which as I’ve already mentioned is all the way to the other side.
I thought it would be a short wait since there was only a few people there. Nope! Took a while and the guy who was going to help us was only inclined on talking to my hubby. I was pretty pissed at this point. What century did he think he was in to only be addressing my man as if I didn’t exist. Eff that isht!!!
«Bixby» location my arse, this is more ghetto fabulous than the 10^th street location.

I was ready to do it… make the switch from the Big Bank to the local Credit Union, until I walked in here. First, the address takes you to the side of the building that is locked. Please enter on the other side where you’ll find a creepy walk up window, dimly lit walkway to the front door and security guard standing 20 feet away, not paying attention.
I walked in and found that no one greeted me. Nope. Not a single person, even as I stood in front of (what I later found out was) the check in desk. Two women stood there talking, taking no notice of me and didn’t fail to give me a dirty look when I apologized for interrupting to find out if I needed to get in line to open a new account.
Open a new account you say? Most banks would jump at the chance to have you say such things! But not here. I was quickly and curtly told, «No, that I needed to check in and wait.» I declined the application, as I had already done my homework and completed it, and was told to sit in the lobby with a passive wave of the woman’s hand. Which direction, I didn’t know. Then she clarified and I was ushered to the back/​front of the building to sit in an area that much resembles the waiting room of a drug test lab.
Remember that line I spoke about? Jam packed. And outside at the walk up windows too. Other Unilocalers have commented that the lines are busy on certain days/​pay days/​and the like, but this was 11:30 on a Wednesday, the 18^th. I saw a gentleman in a wheelchair inching himself through the line and wondered how he is going to communicate with the teller when the window is almost higher than his head.
My name was taken and I was soon called in a fashion that reminded me of meeting with a depressed guidance counselor, wishing they’d done something better with their life than listen to their guidance counselor. The woman instructed me to have a seat at window #whatever. I sat at the dirty, dingy, gray cubicle that made me feel like I was in trouble. Not once did she smile at me, or ask how I was doing or anything. In fact, no one had. It was as if I was bothering them. This is not what I imagined a CU to be like. Hell, my big bank has a doorman who greets me at most locations, someone approaches me with a wide grin and asks how they can help, even in the «less desirable» locations where they ask for two ID’s when cashing a check.
I told the woman I wanted to open an account, but really hesitated. Checking is $ 4/​month, $ 2/​mo if you have direct deposit, and free if you maintain a balance of $ 300 at all times. Oh, and they charge you $ 1 to open the account. I thought I was leaving to get away from the fees.
The available ATM’s outside of an LBS location are in any 7 – 11 or Farmer’s Merchant Bank. And here’s where I take issue. I want to feel safe when I go to deposit or withdraw money. Of the locations available near me to do my banking (even this one, that isn’t really near me), I would not feel safe. Even during the day.
So, I left. With my money. I deposited that cashier’s check into my Big Bank account. I’ll have to check with my work’s CU and see how that goes, but if it’s anything like this, I’m not optimistic about «making the switch.»

My local bank :)
ATM is very accessible and just a tip the bank teller outside gets busy and the line is no joke!

Always crowded on the 1^st and last day of every month. Saturday is always packed due to the fact there is only 2 outside window tellers.

This credit union is great. They are remodeling the shopping center, but the branch is still really easy to get to. The ATM is easy to get to and the parking lot is large.
There might be a line at the walk up teller window on paydays or Saturdays, but don’t complain. If you don’t like it, get direct deposit and use an ATM card!

I don’t live in the hood, but I bank like I do.
Don’t make a deposit here after 9pm unless you’re packing heat. The branch is located in an outdated strip mall. To the one side are vacant storefronts that create a dark shadowy environment. On the other side is a Rite-​Aid that is well lit, but usually has a homeless guy at the door asking for money.
Watch your back!
On Saturday morning there’s a LONG line both inside the branch and outside for the walk-​up teller. Why don’t these people have direct deposit?