Responding to Members About the Recent System Outage
We have received feedback from members who expressed frustration and concern about the unexpected system outage that began early Sunday, Nov. 22 and continued throughout the day until service was restored early that evening.
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About the Incident
BECU's digital banking systems were unavailable from about 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening when the issue was completely resolved. During that time, members were unable to access their accounts and manage their money using our online, mobile and telephone banking services. Automatic payments and other scheduled transactions continued to process as expected during this time.
This interruption was especially inconvenient for members because it occurred on the weekend at a time when support teams were not staffed and members had nowhere to turn for immediate assistance. We recognize the hardship this placed on our members who were unable to take important action on their accounts like transferring money or pausing a lost debit card while our systems were unavailable.
We heard from members who were concerned for the security of their information and accounts, frustrated with the decision to perform system maintenance the weekend before a holiday, and disappointed with the frequency and detail of updates. We understand that the failure to communicate early and often caused distress for our members and did not provide the reassurance members needed at the time.
What Happened
Most importantly, we want to reassure members that this was not a security incident, and our members' money and data remain secure. This was an extraordinary circumstance in which we encountered challenges with critical system interconnections when scheduled system maintenance was being performed.
To address the issue, we brought in escalated staff to identify, resolve, and thoroughly test the resolution. BECU teams worked throughout the day and service was restored by early evening.
Our Commitment
We recognize that our primary responsibility is to ensure reliable access to member accounts and the services we offer. We also acknowledge that frequent service interruptions can erode member confidence in BECU's ability to provide essential services. We are committed to continued investment in digital enhancements and system improvements that will prevent outages from occurring.
Our goal is to always provide expedient and up-to-date notifications during situations that impact our members. We apologize for not providing more frequent updates and information during this prolonged outage.
We are committed to evaluating and reinforcing interdependent processes among cross-functional teams to ensure that we can provide timely information that effectively supports our members when issues occur. We will learn from this experience and will make adjustments where we have the opportunity to improve our response in the future.
Our greatest responsibility is to protect and maintain the trust our members place in BECU. We value your feedback - it helps us understand where we can improve, and we will learn from this experience.
We sincerely apologize for this disruption and we are committed to helping resolve any negative outcomes you may have experienced. We encourage you to contact us if you incur any fees as a result of this issue.