Just finished the most exhausting client presentation of my career. Manufacturing facility on PSE&G, found $67K in savings across multiple issues - incorrect multipliers, missed power factor credits, wrong rate schedule. Client's new CFO questioned literally every calculation, wanted to see original bills, tariff sections, even asked me to walk through the CT ratio math step by step. Took 3 hours for what should have been a 45-minute presentation.
War Story: Client Questioned Every Single Line Item
I actually appreciate clients like that, even though they're exhausting. Better to have someone who asks tough questions than someone who ignores your findings. Shows they're really engaged with the process.
Ted, they had 400:5 CTs but PSE&G was billing using 200:5 ratio for about 8 months. Demand charges were understated but they were also missing some usage. The CFO wanted me to explain why the error resulted in both over-billing AND under-billing on different parts of the bill. Took forever to walk through the math.
I always bring extra documentation for clients like this - copies of relevant tariff sections, billing determinant calculations, even photos of the meter setup if needed. Better to have it and not need it than get caught unprepared.
Anthony's got the right approach. I learned early to over-prepare for CFO presentations. They're usually smart people who just need to understand the technical details to feel comfortable with big financial decisions.
Update - they approved all the corrections and asked me to audit their other two facilities. Randy's right, the thorough questioning was actually a good sign. Painful but worth it!
Nice outcome Joe! Those detailed clients often become your best referral sources too. They know you really know your stuff.
Joe, what was the CT ratio issue? Always curious about those technical details that can trip up a presentation.
Ouch Joe. Been there. Some CFOs are just wired that way - they need to understand every detail before they'll commit. Did they end up accepting the recommendations?
That's actually a great learning opportunity for the client though. Now their CFO probably understands utility billing better than most. Painful in the moment but probably builds a lot of credibility for future work.