Making Things Right

Progress Is Being Made Toward Fixing Centralized Dues

> Though launched with the best of intentions and the greater good of the Order at its core, Moose International’s Centralized Dues System, launched starting with dues of Sept. 30, 2005, was plagued with difficulties from nearly the beginning.

Almost instantaneously, whether by a fault in programming or by inaccurate information delivered from the field, the program spawned a mountain of data problems preventing issuance of member cards that have come to be known as “exceptions.” An exception is the inclusion of extraneous data, unaccountable funds or exclusion of information needed to complete the automated dues process.

Initially, some 58 exceptions were identified as causes for dues-payment transactions to be held up. Ultimately, some 64 unique exceptions have been discovered. The top four reasons for exceptions are:

• A check or money order is sent without the payment coupon provided within the renewal notice. (Estimated to be fully 80% of the exceptions.)
  
  
• A check representing dues payments for multiple members that does not carry the necessary MID (Moose Identification) numbers.
  
  
• Overpayment/underpayment of dues or payment for additional degrees. The payment amount indicated on the dues renewal notice is the only amount that will allow the transaction to take place successfully--no more, no less.
  
  
• Multiple copies of an individual dues coupon. Each members’ dues payment coupon is unique to that member. The bar code on the coupon is linked to the recipient’s account. Multiple copies result in multiple payments to that specific member’s MID.

Centralized Dues Processor Rhonda Jones works overtime at the International Convention in Chicago to rectify dues-payment exceptions on the spot. One CDP was able to correct 100 exceptions in one day.

To aid in accomplishing smoother and more clearly understood membership renewals, dues-renewal notice forms have been revised and clarified; these are currently being utilized.

These new forms carry easier-to-understand directions for mailing dues payments; and as a courtesy, include a temporary membership card (good for 60 days) to allow members continued access to the Moose unit. This temporary card IS NOT AN “EXTENSION” past the member’s original payment deadline. Payment should be made as soon as possible after receipt of the renewal form.

In addition to technical problems, the program “rollout” last summer fell short in the aspect of field training for Administrators and Recorders, and other field staff to handle members’ questions. Many exceptions created were the by-product of well-intentioned Administrators and Recorders simply doing the best they could with the information at hand. In trying to solve members’ problems, they inadvertently created more layers of data that the system was neither programmed nor able to interpret.

As new data is available to aid in the dues paying process it is made available via Bulk E-Mails to Moose International field staff and Lodge and Chapter offices. Field staff members are urged to carefully view these ongoing bulletins for helpful information.

The hardware and software system utilized to process membership data was under great stress as well. When the initial flood of exceptions hit, Centralized Dues Processors (CDP) were only able to process one exception every 40 minutes. With system upgrades, limits placed on volume access to the system, and the addition of a second evening shift of CDPs, exception-processing time has dropped to an average of less than 10 minutes.

The increase to two shifts of Centralized Dues Processors, in the Loyalty Building, has cut the “exception”-processing time from a high of 40 minutes per case to less than 10 minutes.

Not only was the data system overloaded, but also the telephone system was inundated with more calls that it was designed for. At one point nearly 4,000 incoming calls were unavoidably placed on hold. A new dedicated T-1 line was installed to carry the burden of incoming calls to Moose International as a remedy.

During the International Convention in Chicago in late May, Director of Member Services Bill Clevenger and his staff worked to rectify attendees’ exception problems at the department’s booth. Throughout the week the staff worked straight from open to close, many times staying after hours. In one instance, a CDP was able to rectify 100 exceptions in a single day! (It should be noted, the Administrator presenting those exceptions had all the necessary details in hand enabling this to take place.)

New features adding increased functionality to the “My Membership Online” portion of www.mooseintl.org are being implemented based on input from members, reports from field staff, and feedback from Webmaster Steve Speaks. These include a new administration menu for Lodge Administrators, Moose Legion Secretaries and Chapter Recorders, allowing them to view a list of members in their fraternal unit with outstanding coupons. Administrators using this feature can make payments on behalf of members in their fraternalunit who have no payment coupon and who desire to pay their dues in cash. An additional new “My Membership” feature will give Administrators and members the ability to view sponsor credits for current and past campaigns as well as total lifetime sponsor-credit tallies.

Clevenger, along with Director of Information Systems Eric Vonhoff and Director of Membership Darrell O’Brien feel that there is reason for cautious optimism. More than 1,000 exceptions are being rectified monthly, illustrated by the fact that total exceptions have gone from a high of 18,000 last December to less than 11,000 now, and e-mail inquires that once had piled up to 2,000 have been whittled down to 900.

What can you do to ease the “exception” onslaught? Read all the material sent with dues renewals, follow the instructions completely, include the payment coupon, send payment only to the address on the notice, send NO additional material with payment, and pay exactly and only the amount requested on the coupon.