If you think the shopping malls were busy during the holiday season, PEF’s Membership Benefits Program in Albany topped its one-day record of sales on December 17 when members purchased $45,236 worth of discount tickets.
What may be more impressive are the millions of dollars in savings to members who bought tickets June 1, 2006, through May 31, 2007.
“If members had paid full price for the tickets they purchased from us during that time, it would have cost them an additional $1.5 million,” said Lisa Crouch, Membership Benefits marketing executive.
The department has a bustling atmosphere where hundreds of members stroll in daily, call or place Internet orders to purchase movie discount tickets, deals for ski and golf resorts, and savings at amusement and theme parks. Helping them is all in a day’s work for the 17 people who remain dedicated to serving PEF members.
The Membership Benefits staff puts the human touch in all it does. It is a customer-orientated team of professionals who have contact with thousands of members, and are glad to show them how to take advantage of the huge savings that’s available to boost the quality of their daily lives.
“Everyone is versed in many areas and works hard at being accessible and helpful to PEF members,” Crouch said.
“The
PEF Membership Benefits program is unique as it works with vendors to
subsidize discount tickets and negotiates quality insurance programs,” said
PEF Vice President Joe Fox. The program operates under a board of five trustees, including Fox, who are appointed by the PEF president. It also operates under a trust established in 1979 and is totally self-funded.
“The type of benefits and providers are selected after extensive investigation and review,” Fox said. “Our staff is there to provide support for the programs we offer, and to assist in disputes that may arise between a member and a vendor.”
Connie Fedden, Membership Benefits financial executive, said, “PEF members’ dues are never used to fund the operations of the program or any of the benefits offered.”
The program offers nearly 10 different insurance programs.
“A recent negotiation with our insurance partner includes a new rate decrease of 7.5 percent for long-term disability insurance,” said Buffy Horan, who manages the staff responsible for processing and coordinating insurance benefits among members and insurance vendors.
Membership Benefits also provides financial consulting services such as mortgage and real estate discounts, auto/home/renter’s insurance, and a defensive driving course that costs $18. The bulk of the business is the discount tickets, from baseball games to the Bronx Zoo.
And it includes a top-notch, full-service travel agency – PEF Travel.
“We
have statewide and regional discount benefits and tickets,” Crouch added.
“The PEF Web site also has a complete listing of what we offer. It’s an easy
and secure way to order tickets and is quite popular. With the
Web site, we are there
24/7 for all our members.Back to THE COMMUNICATOR home page
