HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 08 28 Informational 502 Customer Service Review Process
Date: August 28, 2006
The following Consent Agenda Items were not
discussed during the August 28, 2006 City
Commission Regular Meeting, due to the City
Commission Meeting not being extended.
COMMISSION AGENDA
ITEM 502
INFORMATIONAL X
August 28, 2006
Meeting
MGR / IDEPT
Authorization -
REQUEST: The Finance Department wishes to update the City Commission on the status of
the Utility Billing Customer Service Review Process.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Agenda item is to update the City Commission on the status of the
Utility Billing Customer Service Review Process.
CONSIDERATIONS: Commissioner McGinnis' April 10, 2006 Commission Seat recommendation
was the Utility Billing Customer Service Division be evaluated and customer service
training should occur. Since then City staff has been working on the following
customer service enhancements:
. Regular Agenda Item Number 305 was presented at tonight's meeting, and if
approved, would allow the City to notify delinquent customers one additional
time prior to having services interrupted for non-payment.
. Mr. George Colombo has been engaged to provide in-house Customer Service
Training. Weare in the process of scheduling training dates. In addition to
training, Mr. Colombo will prepare a written recommendation to the City
Manager for improved customer service based on his observations of the Utility
Billing area.
. MUNIS (City's financial and utility billing software company) was engaged to
provide software training to Utility Billing personnel on 8/16/06, 8/17/06 and
8/18/06. None of the employees originally trained in Utility Billing remain
employed at the City today. This training will be used to enhance the
efficiency and effectiveness of the Utility Billing Department.
. Staff is in the process of reviewing the monthly bill format as well as the
delinquent notice format for potential enhancements.
. Staff is working with Bank of America to create a file that can be downloaded
each day for the on-line bill pay service payments received by the City. The
City currently receives approximately 2,000 on-line bill pay service payments
per month. Automating this process could save approximately 2 hours per day
Informational Agenda Item 502
August 28, 2006
Page 2 of2
of keying time, allowing current staff to focus more on the walk-in customers
and the payments sent via U.S. mail.
. Staff is currently testing the MUNIS On-line product, which would allow our
utility customers to view details of their utility account, such as balance due,
due date, consumption history and bill history, at any time, from any place.
This new service will also allow the residents to pay their bill by credit card
through MUNIS On-line, in-which a daily file could also be downloaded into
the City's accounts receivable system. Automating this process could save
approximately 20 minutes per day of keying payments, allowing current staff to
focus more on the walk-in customers and the payments sent via U.S. mail.
. Staff is currently reviewing other Cities "New Service Applications" to see
what data they require on the application for potential enhancements to our
applications.
. Lastly, there are a few software enhancements that cannot be implemented until
potentially 2008 as the functionality is not available until the October 2007
software release: customer credit ratings based on payment history; emailing
utility bills to customers rather than sending via U.S. mail; and confidentiality
flags within a customers account for such things as restraining orders or Florida
Statute public records exemptions. The City of Winter Springs will wait a few
months after software release date to install so other Cities can work through
any programming bugs (or errors) that may be contained in the new release.
FUNDING: At this time all projects are funded, with the exception of the Televox notification
system. If Regular Agenda Item 305 was approved, then that project would be funded
as well.
RECOMMENDATION: N/ A
ATTACHMENTS: N/A
COMMISSION ACTION: