Good service: a must!(rural electric cooperatives)

• Author: McElheney, J. Ronald

While good, courteous service to our members has always been a top priority, the threat of buyouts and takeovers has prompted all of us to re-examine member perceptions of how well and how pleasantly we meet their needs. Satisfied members who feel positively about our cooperatives are not accidental - they are the result of a thorough, ongoing effort that begins with the board and manager and permeates the entire organization. Employees who are listened to, justly treated, supported and given latitude become member relations representatives who can extend the same genuine courtesy and caring to every member they encounter, even the ones who try our patience the most. In a wonderful, upbeat article, general manager Ron McElheney shares his ideas and philosophies for bringing about a culture which supports the best in service excellence.

The management and board of directors of many cooperatives still believe their primary purpose in their communities is to provide good dependable electric service to their customers, and they are probably right. However, good service is a given in today's society. Their customers expect good service just as they expect the sun to come up. Electrical conveniences are taken for granted. When the switch is flipped on or the button is pushed, something is supposed to happen and that something is not supposed to inconvenience or interrupt the customer's usual and customary lifestyle. Today's member has drastically changed from the early days of rural electrification. Very few remember what a glorious day it was when a creosote pole was dropped off in their yard, bringing electricity to the home or farm for the first time. Most customers today grew up with the convenience of electricity. They don't really understand or care that private power companies wouldn't go to the countryside because it was not profitable. Most don't really understand or care about capital credits or pride of ownership in the cooperative. They do understand and they do care about the bottom line on the electric bill they receive each month, and it is that concern that you will most likely hear about, especially if rate disparity is prevalent in the community. This problem and others experienced by cooperatives today must be overcome. How do we do this? I believe there is only one answer: "service."

The service I refer to is not just that of providing good, dependable electric service. Most cooperatives already do that. I'm talking about the...