General Memo 611

Executive Summary

The number of members wishing to meet with a Member Services Representative has been increasing steadily over the past several months. The increased "walk in" traffic is impacting our ability to provide excellent customer service to all of our members.

To ensure we are able to provide the highest quality service to our members, IMRF is changing its policy for one-on-one meetings with a Member Services Representative.

Effective April 1, 2011, members will be required to schedule an appointment if they wish to meet with a Member Services Representative, whether the meeting is for a counseling session, request for information, assistance completing forms, etc.

To schedule an appointment, the member would call 1-800-ASK-IMRF (1-800-275-4673). Members who visit our offices without an appointment will meet with a Member Services Representative only when one becomes available.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. This change will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality service in the most cost-effective and impartial manner to the most customers.

Many of our members contact us through 1-800-ASK-IMRF or online through Member Access. Please recommend to your members that they use these convenient and secure means of accessing information regarding their IMRF account and benefits.

We developed a handout about this new policy. Please print the handout and provide it to your members.

Dear Authorized Agent,

IMRF is committed to providing the highest quality service to our members, and to do so in a cost-effective and impartial manner.

However, the number of members wishing to meet with a Member Services Representative has been increasing steadily over the past several months. We expect this trend to continue. The increased "walk in" traffic is impacting our ability to provide excellent customer service to all of our members.

New policy
To ensure we are able to provide the highest quality service to our members, IMRF is changing its policy for one-on-one meetings with a Member Services Representative in our Oak Brook and Springfield offices.

Effective April 1, 2011, members will be required to schedule an appointment if they wish to meet with a Member Services Representative, whether the meeting is for a counseling session, request for information, assistance completing forms, etc. Appointments will be scheduled at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, the member would call 1-800-ASK-IMRF (1-800-275-4673).

Appointments always recommended
We’ve always recommended that members schedule an appointment before meeting with a Member Services Representative. This allows the Representative to prepare for the meeting, which could include having a pension estimate prepared or completing research on a member’s claim.

In February, we began advising all members who visited our Oak Brook or Springfield office without an appointment of the upcoming change in policy.

Member Services Representatives are available by telephone from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Counseling appointments will be scheduled at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Members who visit our offices without an appointment will meet with a Member Services Representative only when one becomes available.

Call or click
Many of our members contact us through 1-800-ASK-IMRF (1-800-275-4673), or online through Member Access.

We ask that you recommend to your members that they consider using these convenient and secure means of accessing information regarding their IMRF account and benefits.

Highest quality and cost-effective service We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We hope you understand that in these challenging economic times, this change will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality service in the most cost-effective and impartial manner to the most customers.

We developed a handout about this new policy. Please print the handout and provide it to your members.