I've been working with Knoxville Utilities Board and other TVA distributors for about six months now. Coming from the private sector, I'm finding these municipal utilities operate quite differently from investor-owned companies. The billing processes seem more informal and the staff turnover is lower, which could be good for building long-term relationships. Anyone have experience working with TVA power distributors? Any tips for building productive working relationships with these folks? Seems like they're less familiar with professional auditors than the big utilities.
Building relationships with TVA distributors - tips?
Dale, you're absolutely right about the municipal utilities being different. EPB here in Chattanooga is pretty professional, but some of the smaller TVA distributors can be challenging. My advice is to be patient and educational rather than adversarial. Many of them haven't dealt with bill auditors before, so explain your role and how you can actually help them identify and fix billing errors. I've found bringing donuts to the office doesn't hurt either!
The TVA distributors I've worked with in Ohio (yes, we have a few) tend to be very relationship-based. Once you prove you know what you're doing and you're not there to make their lives difficult, they're actually quite helpful. Duke Energy could learn something from their customer service approach. Take time to understand their local procedures - each distributor interprets TVA's rate schedules slightly differently.
Thanks Brenda and Cecilia. The "educational" approach makes sense. KUB seems pretty receptive so far, but I have a client with Alcoa Utilities that's been tougher to work with. I think you're right about taking time to understand their local quirks. Each one seems to have their own way of handling things despite all being TVA distributors.
Alcoa can be tricky - they're one of the more old-school operations. Try to work with their industrial accounts person if your client is large enough. They tend to be more technical and understand complex billing issues better than the general customer service staff. Good luck!