For Immediate Release: January 4, 2021
Contact: Marty Karlon, Public Information Officer, (603) 410-3594;
public_relations@nhrs.org
CONCORD, NH – As part of its ongoing commitment to provide superior customer service, the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS, the retirement system) has created a contact center to more efficiently address inquiries from members and benefit recipients.
Effective immediately, retirees and beneficiaries can call our main number – 603-410-3500 – and press 2 to be connected with a representative, and members not currently receiving a benefit can press 3. Trained contact center representatives will be available to answer questions and provide customer assistance. In most instances, we anticipate the representative will be able to respond directly to the caller’s inquiry. In some situations, when an issue is especially complex or technical, the call will be referred to a staff expert for assistance. Every effort will be made to assist the caller during the initial call, resulting in more immediate service.
“This is a major milestone in our ongoing effort to improve customer service for our members and retirees," said NHRS Executive Director George Lagos. “In reviewing our satisfaction surveys and phone data, we determined that too many calls were going to voicemail during the business day, which can be both frustrating and inefficient.”
If callers stay on the line at the conclusion of their call, they have the option to take a short customer satisfaction survey.
Contact center representatives also serve as the initial point of contact for incoming emails sent to info@nhrs.org and, when our office is able to re-open to the public, member and retiree walk-in visitors.
Enhanced identity authentication
The retirement system is also in the process of rolling out enhanced identity authentication measures. NHRS has partnered with LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, one of the nation’s leading data companies, to institute a knowledge-based authentication protocol to keep account information secure. When initiating certain requests over the phone with NHRS, members and retirees may be asked to answer a set of multiple choice security questions unique to them. NHRS staff will not have access to the answers or to any additional personal data.
“As a result of some high-profile data breaches at major technology, healthcare, and financial services companies in recent years, personal information such as addresses, birthdays and Social Security numbers for many people is now readily available to bad actors. This additional layer of authentication will substantially enhance our existing fraud prevention efforts,” Lagos said.
The creation of the contact center and the implementation of enhanced caller identification and authentication are part of the retirement system’s ongoing commitment to fulfil its mission to provide secure retirement benefits and superior service.
About NHRS
NHRS provides retirement, disability, and death benefits to its eligible members and their beneficiaries. The State of New Hampshire and nearly 470 local government employers participate in NHRS for their employees, teachers, firefighters, and police officers. NHRS has approximately 48,000 active members and 39,000 benefit recipients. NHRS administers a defined benefit plan qualified as a tax-exempt entity under sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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