Financial services

Albany streamlines member payments

20 August 2010

The Concorde Club, a private members club and hotel, has implemented an automated payments platform from Albany Software.

The solution enables the company to offer members an alternative payment option to cash, cheque or credit card allowing them to take advantage Direct Debit payments.

The payments and collections solution also automatically manages the club’s 1,500 annual membership payments, strengthening back-office processes and subsequently increasing efficiencies.

Through Albany’s payment and collections management solution we have greatly streamlined our back office processes and our annual membership renewals are no longer the laborious task they once were

Jackie Baker, The Concorde Club Jackie Baker, membership secretary at The Concorde Club, said: “As a business and a reputable private members club we strive to provide an efficient service for our current 2,500 members. It was therefore obvious to us that we should incorporate a Direct Debit facility into our payments scheme in order to offer our members differing payment options. The majority of our members now benefit from the reassurance that their yearly membership fee will be taken out of their account automatically via Direct Debit and is renewed, once approved, instantly with ease.”

“Through utilising Albany’s payment and collections management solution we have greatly streamlined our back office processes and our annual membership renewals are no longer the laborious task they once were,” added Baker. “Any discrepancies or errors in collecting these payments are instantly highlighted through a detailed report, allowing us to promptly contact these members requesting new bank details, dramatically reducing the time spent chasing renewal payments. This functionality has allowed us to complete our Direct Debit renewals and issue new membership cards all within one week.”

Baker also detailed The Concorde Club’s plans for future Direct Debit payments, “We are planning to introduce quarterly and half yearly payment options for our members. We recognised the need to offer our clients the flexibility to spread their membership payments over a period of time rather than pay via one larger payment. I expect once we begin offering our clients this option more of our members will move over from alternative payment methods to Direct Debits.”

Adrian Stafford-Jones, managing director at Albany Software, concluded: “In today’s turbulent economy it is particularly important that organisations understand the needs of their customer base. The Concorde Club is working hard to offer their members differing payment choices and have since streamlined back-offices processes through utilising an automated Direct Debit solution.”

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