May 2017 SWRE Manager’s Report


As a cooperative, the organization is always looking for strategies that will benefit members, improve service, and help to operate more efficiently. I can cite many examples – development of the SWRE app, installation of smart meters, system-wide mapping and inventory, establishing a presence on Facebook, developing of our online outage map, building our own community solar fields, and much more. It’s a long list of innovations that have all come to our co-op in recent years. As a business organization, SWRE isn’t sitting still. We are continually moving forward, looking for new ways to better serve members.


Automated Phone Line for Paying Bills In a recent newsletter SWRE announced that a new automated phone line has been established that members may use to pay bills at any time, 24 hours a day. Members may call 1-855-980-6821 night or day to pay their bills with a credit card, pre-paid card, or debit card. Making payments at the automated line is easy and secure. The payments are processed immediately and quickly posted to the proper account.


Phone line function expands Business as usual isn’t good enough at SWRE.


Automated Phone Line for Bill Pay or Reporting Outages


1-855-980-6821


Traditional Voice Phone Line 1-800-256-7973


Of course, members who don’t wish to use the automated line can still call the co-op’s traditional number – 1-800-256-7973 – to speak to someone live.


Since the automated number was established in March, many SWRE members have used it to pay their bills and their feedback has been positive. We’ve heard from many people who love using the new automated line to pay their bills.


NEW! Auto Phone Line for Outages I’m pleased to tell you that a great NEW function has also been added to the automated phone line. Members may now call that same auto phone line (1-855-980-6821) to report outages.


Benefits of Using the Auto Phone Line There will likely be times when members may want to use the automated number. For instance, during widespread outages when many members are without electricity, getting through to SWRE on the regular line can be frustrating. Storms, transmission line failures, or damages to substations can affect many accounts. It isn’t unusual in those circumstances for hundreds of people to be calling at the same time, and even when all co-op phone lines are open, only a few can get through at once. The automated phone line, though, can take a large number of calls at the same time, processing all outage reports into the system and letting callers know that their outage notification has been received.


At SWRE, we know that most people don’t like “talking” to automated voices or computers. We don’t, either. SWRE has always taken pride in the fact that when one calls the co-op, a live person answers, and we still do.


When the automated voice answers, it asks for an account number. It then provides prompts for paying a bill OR reporting an outage. To report an outage, the member will need the account number that is associated with the meter that is being reported for outage. Many SWRE members have more than one meter, and it’s essential that the outage management system knows which meter location is being reported as out of service.


Of course, members may still report outages in the traditional way, by calling SWRE’s regular number (1-800-256-7973) to speak to a real person.


The automated phone line, though, presents another option for our members. They can still call the regular line (1-800-256-7973) to speak to a live person, or they may pay their bills or report outages with the SWRE app for smart phones and tablets. They now have the choice, though, to call the automated line (1-855-980-6821) to pay their bill or report an outage directly into the system.


Providing that choice is what SWRE service is all about. It’s just one more example of SWRE “Safety, Service, Satisfaction… One Member at a Time”.


Kenneth E. Simmons


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