The last issue discussed reading inactive meters for vacant accounts and included a poll asking if your utility reads inactive meters. While only ten utilities responded to the poll, I’m pleased to see that 70% of the respondents do read inactive meters. I’m especially glad to see the one utility that still reads on paper is reading inactive meters!

What really surprised me is the utility that reads using an automated meter reading system and doesn’t read inactive meters. Frankly, this baffles me. Unlike reading on paper or with handhelds, where the meter reader must take additional time to read inactive meters, reading with an AMR or AMI system takes no extra time. So why not read inactive meters?

Documenting customer interactions

Does your utility keep a record of all customer interactions? For example, if a customer calls to complain about a high bill or request additional time to pay their bill, do you log a comment for that?

Documenting each conversation with a customer can prove invaluable if the customer complains to management or your board.

Documenting each conversation with a customer can prove invaluable if the customer complains to management or your board. Customers tend to remember their version of a phone call and having an accurate record of what transpired during the call can easily resolve a “he said, she said” situation when the customer suffers from selective memory.