ClearDebit training and support reaps rewards for the INTO

For the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), having regular, reliable income is critically important for its day-to-day operations. 

The INTO, which was founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers’ trade union in Ireland, representing a total membership in excess of 50,000 primary and post-primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland – and Direct Debit is the organisation’s second biggest method of collecting subscriptions from its Northern Irish members. 

“Subscriptions are our main source of income, so it’s vital for the sustainability of the organisation,” says Nadia Johnston, Senior Official, INTO Finance and Membership. 

“We’re a service organisation, so if we don’t have that income stream coming in, we can’t provide the service – everything stops.” 

Getting ahead of the Direct Debit curve

The small administrative team had previously been collecting Direct Debits manually. However, a proposal to mandate AUDDIS (Automated Direct Debit Instruction Service) in Northern Ireland meant the INTO saw an opportunity to get ahead of the curve, and level up its Direct Debit knowledge. 

“Manually processing Direct Debits was labour and time-intensive, and was tying up a lot of time internally,” Nadia explains. “That, combined with the knowledge we’d need to automate things, get our Service User Number (SUN) and switch ‘ to AUDDIS sooner or later meant we decided to get some expert help.” 

That expert help came from ClearDebit, which was recommended to the team at the INTO by their CRM provider Silverbear. 

Convenient training – long-lasting impact 

Initially, training was provided over two half-day sessions, which were arranged at mutually convenient times that didn’t impact the organisation’s day-to-day. The training provided the team with additional knowledge they needed to run the Direct Debit process more efficiently, freeing up time internally. 

However, for project manager Nadia, significant additional value came from the day-to-day knowledge and assistance the ClearDebit team provided to help the INTO set its Direct Debit function up for future success. 

“The ClearDebit team – and Sarah in particular – has helped us every step of the way. They’ve helped us fill in forms, deal with issues with the bank, and generally supported us throughout the whole process. 

“We probably would have given up if it wasn’t for their help. Having that knowledge of how the banks work, what should happen and when, and the technical expertise to support that has been really important to the success of this project.” 

Having the ClearDebit team around to support post-training has been essential for the INTO – and the ClearDebit team has been deeply invested in the INTO’s successful AUDDIS application. 

“When we finally got AUDDIS, we all had a bit of a celebration!” laughs Nadia. 

Discover more about ClearDebit’s range of training options, which can fit in around your team’s current workload.

If you have any questions or need further support, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you navigate the technicalities of Direct Debit management.