6.1.D ERMUSR 10-13-2020UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:FROM:
ERMU CommissionJennie Nelson – Customer Service Manager
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
October 13, 2020 6.1d
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
DISCUSSION:
The Customer Service Department spent significant time working through process
changes in our work management software, AppSuite. We have worked with National
Information Solutions Cooperative, and other departments within ERMU, to brainstorm
new ways to maximize the efficiency of the software andaccommodate our multiple
services. Staff is incredibly grateful that employees have been flexible as we find the
best processes moving forward.
ERMU’s Credit and Collections Specialist has prepared the assessment letters for 2020.
This is a very time-intensive, detail-oriented process and staff works very hard to make
sure the data is accurate. There is a deadline of November 1for payments to be made in
order to avoid assessment.
ERMU’s Billing Specialist has been working on a project to move our procedure
documents over to a new Standard Operating Procedure template. Many of our
processes have changed since we have gone live with AppSuite, so the next step will be
to edit the procedures for content changes.
New electric and water services continue to keep our Customer Service Representatives
(CSRs) busy!
The free LED bulb program was incredibly popular. Our CSRs spent a lot of time packing
bags and entering service orders on customer’s accounts. One of our CSRs, Jessica,
prepared all the directions for Tom to deliver the bags, which was quite an undertaking!
In March, the Public Utilities Commission asked for voluntary compliancefrom
Minnesota utilities innot penalizingdelinquent accountswhile the statewas under a
Peacetime Emergency Order, and ERMUagreed. Recentlyother city and utility boards
have given direction to start chargingpenalties again, so staff would liketo inform the
ERMUcommission that we are not penalizingfor delinquent bills and have no plan to do
so while under the Emergency Order, unless the Commission directed otherwise. When
direction is given to start penalizing again, staff would prefer to give customers at least
one month notice.
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