Technology for customer service: video conferencing at the New York State Teachers' Retirement System.

• Author: Daly, David T.

Editor's note: Each year the Government Finance Officers Association bestows its prestigious Awards for Excellence to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of government finance. The awards stress practical, documented work that offers leadership to the profession and promotes improved public finance. This article describes the 1998 winning entry in the Communications and Reporting subcategory of the Pensions and Benefits area.

The New York State Teachers' Retirement System has introduced video conferencing consultations as an effective means of communicating with its membership to better meet the growing demand for retirement information and at the same time make staff available for special projects in-house.

The Retirement System, the organization that administers retirement benefits for public school teachers and administrators in the state (excluding New York City), currently has a membership that totals over 209,000 active members and approximately 93,200 retirees and beneficiaries. Over the past 30 years, it has developed an extensive member-services program, including toll-free telephone calling, benefit and preretirement planning seminars, a Web site, and personal consultations where System Information Representatives meet with members individually in their own areas to discuss benefit and membership information.

Each school year the representatives travel by car to meet with members at 23 sites throughout the state. The meetings are conducted in local school district offices and school buildings, chosen because of their accessible locations. Dates are arranged in advance and schedules are sent to schools each September. Staff at these locations schedule the appointments.

During these face-to-face meetings, benefit and membership questions are answered and information is discussed that will assist members in making important retirement decisions. Membership concerns include claiming prior-service credit, borrowing from member contributions and changing designated beneficiaries for in-service death benefits. As members get closer to retirement, concerns range from selecting an option to deciding whether to retire early with an incentive or to continue to work additional years. Members are encouraged to make as many appointments as needed, and especially in the year of their retirement to make sure that they are taking all the necessary steps to receive their benefits.

In the beginning, benefit estimates were either computed on portable calculators or were hand written. Today the representatives use notebook computers to access member salary and service records at the system and generate estimate printouts on portable laser printers. In a typical year approximately 6,000 members take advantage of the opportunity for personal contact with retirement system staff.

Changing Demands

In recent years, several factors have...