In the hands of the Reston Association, the powers of the Internet have not gone to waste.
Two months ago the Reston Association launched an e-commerce component to its Web site — www.reston.org, which has since generated 1,300 transactions, totaling $433,500.
“I doubt that there are too many homeowner associations that have this capability, so we’re leading the pack in that regard,” said Ray Leonhard, the association’s chief financial officer.
This virtual big splash has allowed members to conduct all kinds of member services on the Web, including the ability to purchase pool passes, tennis passes, summer camps and disclosure documents for the sale of a property. In addition, members can now review assessment explanations and pay assessment fees via the Web.
“Essentially, it is a customer service issue — members wanted it and we pursued it, and now members can purchase programs and services day or night, at home or anywhere else they have Internet access,” said Leonhard.
Leonhard, who spearheaded the project, knew that offering these services on the Web would help streamline member services, increase productivity and save money.
In January RA sent out confirmation letters with registration information to access the e-commerce portion of the Web site. One thousand, eight hundred members have registered to get access to the new services and the numbers increase with every passing week.