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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Policies
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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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 doing a business review, one of the questions I ask is, does the utility leave a door hanger when disconnecting a customer for non-payment? During a recent business review, one general manager related a harrowing story of precisely why […]
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Recently, a long-time newsletter subscriber reached out to me asking if I had any experience with utilities going cashless. Her concern is that it takes her staff about half an hour each day to balance their cash drawers and make […]
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I’ve written previously about how bank drafts are the easiest way to collect payments. They are also generally less expensive to process than credit card payments. As a result, many utilities offer incentives to get customers to sign up for […]
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Today’s blog post draws from my popular Improving Revenue Collections for Utilities presentation. Let’s examine some best practices when taking an application for service. Require a copy of rental agreement or closing documents Requiring applicants for service to provide a […]
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How does your utility handle accounts for customers who have passed away? The best practice is to close the account in the name of the deceased customer and open a new account in the name of the executor or family […]
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Several years ago, a customer of a municipal utility in Florida made the news for paying her $493 water bill all in pennies. This was, in her words, a “peaceful protest” of her high water bill, for which the utility […]
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Today we’re going to look at the three Rs – not the old standby Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. Instead, we’ll examine three actual Rs – Roles, Responsibilities, and Rights. These three Rs impact both your utility and your customers. Which […]
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