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 Quality customer service
Sep 1, 2006
We can all wipe our brows and heave a sigh of relief because September has finally arrived. This month offers a doorway to the promise of cooler weather. After the hot, humid days of July and August, we deserve a break.
The Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative system held up very well during those prolonged summer hot spells. Now, with the approach of autumn, our thoughts turn toward the potential for snow and ice storms that will be confronting us before we know it.
I’m confident most everyone has vivid memories of the massive, unprecedented ice storm that battered this area just 10 days before Christmas last year. It wasn’t a happy time for Blue Ridge and the more than 70 percent of our members who lost power. As bad as all that was however, the cooperative’s system performed well then too. Essentially every Blue Ridge member had service restored within five days or fewer, well ahead of many other electric customers here in the Upstate. With summer now nearly past, we’ve again assumed the posture of hoping for the best this winter while we prepare for the worst.
The strongest impulse
One of the top six value propositions cited by electric cooperative members on a recent survey states that “co-ops are committed to providing quality customer service.” Aside from maintaining a safe work environment for our members, our employees, and the general public, quality service represents the strongest impulse at Blue Ridge. We strive to keep the focus on exceeding our members’ expectations when it comes to service quality.
Sometime in early June, Blue Ridge extended service to member number 61,000. That was an exciting milestone, and the cooperative has continued to add members at a steady pace since that time.
As Blue Ridge gets bigger, our goal is to get better too. Quality customer service remains at the top of our list—alongside safety. That’s our commitment to you as we anticipate whatever Old Man Winter might have in store for us.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Dalton
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