The friends' association has several thousand dedicated members, mainly from Lillehammer and the surrounding district. Until recently, the only channel the leadership had for communicating with its members over an entire year was three issues of the members' magazine Maihaugbladet. Partly to reach its members more effectively, the association signed a contract with Rubic in January 2017 and switched to its digital membership system.
Easier member registration, payments and communication
The chairman of the friends' association, Svend Strand, explains how they first heard about Rubic and how they came to replace old, time-consuming solutions with a modern membership system.
– We heard about Rubic through associations that use the system. So we got in touch with Rubic. Rune from Rubic visited us, gave us a demo and told us more about the system. Today we use it for member registration, keeping the membership up to date, payment of membership fees and any other services, as well as communication with our members.
Svend Strand, chairman of De Sandvigske Samlingers venner
Replaced time-consuming solutions
Among other things, the friends' association organises special guided tours for its members at Maihaugen in Lillehammer. These give members the chance to see the museum's hidden treasures, step inside the fantastic houses or get a tour of the storerooms where items and objects of historical value are kept. In the past, it was difficult for the association to reach its members with information about these tours.
– We have a members' magazine that is posted to all members three times a year. Before we started using Rubic, we had to have the information about a special tour ready four to five months before the event so that we could publish it in the magazine. That meant we had to announce in March a tour that was taking place in July. It was easy for our members to forget, and few turned up. On top of that, we had to advertise in the newspaper a couple of days beforehand to remind members about the tour, says Strand.
– We've had a huge rush of interest
Switching to Rubic's system has really given a boost to the special tours the friends' association organises. The information reaches virtually all of the 2,700 members, and far more people hear about it now than before. The tours are a fantastic offer and an exclusive opportunity to see the museum's treasures, so it would be a shame if members missed out.
– When we are organising a special tour for our members, we simply send out information by email or text message about a week in advance. It reaches almost all our members and gets a very high response. Far more people turn up now than before, says Strand.
He adds that so many people now show interest in the tours that they have had to turn some away.
– Since we started using Rubic's system, we've had a huge rush of interest. Now we have to make it clear that only the first people to sign up can come.
Easier to send out invoices
Since the friends' association started using Rubic, it has also become much easier to send invoices to members. Today the leadership simply sends a text message or an email to its members with a link to the invoice.
– Before we started using Rubic, we sent out letters with a giro payment slip to collect payments from our members. Obviously that took a long time. We sat there stuffing envelopes with more than 2,000 letters. Today this process has become much more efficient, says Strand.
– I have occasionally phoned Anders
Rubic wants to be a partner for its customers. That is why it offers all customers training in the system as well as access to help and support. When De Sandvigske Samlingers venner started using the new membership system, representatives from the association attended training with Anders, general manager of Rubic, and received good help.
– If I need help, I contact Rubic's helpdesk by email. I almost always get a very quick reply. I have also occasionally phoned Anders directly, but as a rule I send a request to the helpdesk.
Recommends Rubic to all associations
Strand makes no secret of the fact that there have been certain challenges connected with the transition, but in the end he is pleased to have switched to a more modern system. Although the board of the friends' association has spent a lot of time digitising contact information and getting to know the system, the most important thing is that the new solution makes it possible to reach members directly and makes it easier for members to keep up with important information.
– I think it is a big advantage if other associations like ours use Rubic. That said, there are two things I think it is important to point out: it takes preparation before you can start using the system, and you need to have access to your members' contact details and email addresses.
Strand adds:
– It's the same with Rubic as with all systems; they have far more features than any individual user needs. That will always be the case. So the association needs the competence to explain what its needs are, and to form an opinion on how it can use the system to meet those needs. It also pays to have someone in the association who is good with computers and can take charge of the system. I have worked in IT myself for several decades. That has been a big advantage.