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Recently, I spoke with yet another utility that has experienced fraud with customers entering bogus checking account numbers when paying by echeck. Echeck payments allow your customer to enter the routing and account numbers from a check to electronically deduct […]
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Do you offer this option to your customers of receiving a paper bill and an ebill? This blog post explains why that’s a bad idea.
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Recently, there has been a fair amount of activity on one of the listservs I follow about the impending penny shortage. Some areas are already feeling the impact, so if your office isn’t yet, you may soon. Production of pennies […]
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I’m writing this on Friday, Halloween Day, because I’ll be leaving tonight and out of town next week. If nothing changes between now and the time you’re reading this, with the federal government shutdown, many of your customers may find […]
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In my last blog post, I referenced a listserv that I subscribe to. A reader inquired about the listserv, so I thought a post dedicated to resources might be a good idea. For those who are unfamiliar, a listserv is […]
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In a recent posting on a listserv I subscribe to, someone inquired if any other jurisdictions have a policy that requires employees who handle cash to make up shortages from personal funds. A similar question was asked back in 2012, […]
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With two business reviews I recently completed, both utilities required new applicants for service to show photo ID, but neither required a copy of the rental agreement or closing documents. Let’s take a look at why that is a poor […]
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I recently assisted a customer with the conversion process to new billing software. On the first day of on-site training, the trainer from the software vendor said, “I’m glad Gary’s here, but I hope things go smoothly enough that we […]
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Last year, I wrote about fraud prevention, specifically as it dealt with a small office with insufficient staff to ensure proper separation of duties. In that office, the same person who received payments was also able to make adjustments, which […]
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When it comes to trying to change someone’s behavior, the phrase “carrot or stick” is often evoked. The carrot represents a reward for achieving the desired behavior, and the stick represents a punishment for refusing to do so. In the last […]
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