I love the town of Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show has always been one of my favorites. Everyone knew everyone. If someone had problems the whole town rallied to help. It is the kind of town many people would like to call home.

My, how times have changed. Most of us are too busy to be “neighborly.” While I still think the majority of people are good-hearted and honest, we don’t take time to develop relationships with neighbors. Barney’s silly antics would not be tolerated in today’s society where we have grown to expect efficiency and top quality service.

A member called recently more than slightly upset because he had received a notice that payment had not been received on his account and he was subject to disconnection. He could not understand why we had not notified him sooner, because he had always paid his account and he was personally offended. I am certain he is a very conscientious member and this was the first time he had received a disconnect notice. If he had been living in Mayberry the postmaster might have let him know he had not spotted his payment pass through the post office this month.

Here is the problem. IEC has grown to be a co-op with over 18,500 accounts and the processing and mailing of electric bills are outsourced because it is the most cost-effective method. We have five employees who take payments, handle new accounts, schedule disconnects and reconnects, as well as monitor past due accounts. To offer the kind of personal service this member expects is possible – if we made the decision to add additional personnel so each account could be personally monitored. But how much is each member willing to pay for that service? At a time when the wholesale cost of power is expected to increase by double digit percentages for each of the next few years, we are looking for ways to keep IEC’s costs as reasonable as possible. That means doing more with less.

IEC Terms & Conditions of Service have recently been re-written and updated to reflect current member needs. They are structured to pass the costs of service to those who create the expenses. Today’s members want reliable service at a reasonable cost and are less willing to “share” the costs created by a segment of the membership that is habitually late in paying its bills or that tries to tamper with its meter to receive free electricity.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in Mayberry and are not capable of knowing everyone’s first name. We can’t watch each account on a personal basis each month. It is a real balancing act to provide quality service while keeping costs low. We strive to provide prompt, friendly service whenever you call the Cleveland or Fairfax office with payments, questions, or concerns about your electric service. Aunt Bea or Thelma Lou is not available to take your call, but one of our cashiers or customer services representatives will be just as happy to assist you.

by Karen Davis, IEC Office Manager