HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 Online SmartHub Workshopenda Item #
To: Board of Directors
From: Steven Poncelet
Date. July 18, 2018
Subject: Your Online SmartHub Account
1. WHY THIS MATTER IS BEFORE THE BOARD
16
This Board item, Your Online SmartHub Account, is the seventh in a new series of
Board workshops concerning how the District communicates with and serves its
customers and community.
2. HISTORY
The Mission of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District is to provide reliable, high
quality water and electrical power services while meeting customer demand, and to
manage District resources in a safe, open, responsible, environmentally souno
manner at the lowest practical cost. To achieve this mission, the District operates an
electric and water utility along with the necessary supporting departments and
programs. It is imperative, given the complexity of the energy and water sectors, that
the District communicate effectively with its customers and community in order to
educate them on the value of public power and water and to engage customers to
participate in the many programs and services that we offer.
These communication and outreach efforts, along with the associated programs and
servicesI fall into well known themes that communicate the essence of the District's
efforts to serve its customers and community. The District's current key themes
include:
• The Best Water Right From Your Tap (9/6/17);
• Save Energy, Water, Money and Live More Comfortably (10/4/17);
• The Facts of Mountain Living (11/1/17);
• Your Public -Owned Local Electric and Water Utility (12/6/17);
• Clean, Reliable, and Affordable Electric Services (5/6/18);
• Truckee is EV Friendly (6/6/18);
• Your Online SmartHub Account (tonight); and
• Your Local Community Partner (future).
3. NEW INFORMATION
Your Online SmartHub Account:
This theme is about customer engagement and the new tools the District has invested
in to more effectively and efficiently serve its customers and community. Central to
this theme is the District's online customer account tool SmartHub. Also driving this
theme is the District's move to industry -standard electric and water meters, a state -of -
the art website, and the new digital media planned for the remodeled lobby and
customer service areas at the District headquarters.
All utilities must communicate effectively with their customers in order to maximize the
benefits of the relationship between a utility provider and customer. 'Customer
Engagement' is the current term used to capture this interaction and encompasses the
more traditional forms of communication (bill stuffers, advertising, website, outreach,
)tc.) plus new opportunities to engage customers including online account access,
customer data, and digital media. All forms of utility communications, from formal
outreach campaigns to a face-to-face interactions, are critical to fostering productive
engagement.
The District's main customer engagement tool is the SmartHub 'My Account'
application that is provided by the District's Customer Information System (CIS)
provider NISC. This online account tool is integrated with the District's CIS and has
been evolving quickly. Today, customers can log in to SmartHub and set up alerts,
access their account, make payments, and view their usage. This one -stop customer
engagement portal allows customers to take control of their utility bill while being
exposed to opportunities to better manage their account and to save energy, water,
and money. Another benefit of SmartHub is that customers must provide up4o-date
e-mail and contact information to register/access the online tool, which improves the
District's ability to contact customers. SmartHub can be accessed via the District's
website or by downloading the mobile app.
The District's website remains an important customer engagement and online tool.
The District built a new website a few years back taking advantage of new 'Content
Management System (CMS)' technology which greatly improved the effectiveness and
usefulness of the website. The District is also in the process of upgrading this website
which will bring better performance and more opportunities to engage customers and
the community. The District's website is still the main introductory portal to SmartHub
and the call -to -action of a significant amount of District outreach is to go to SmartHub
and set up an account.
In addition to the website, the District is also considering investing in new digital media
for the remodeled lobby and customer service areas at the District headquarters. This
new series of informational and interactive screens/kiosks are being designed to
engage customers as they visit the District, to allow them to sign up for District
programs (including SmartHub) on the spot, and to provide educational information in
a creative way.
Your Online SmartHub Account communicates both now the District engages with its
customers and the tools available for customers to take control of their account from
practically anywhere.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this workshop item.
5. RECOMMENDATION
Provide input to staff.
f
Steven Poncelet
Public Information & Strategic Affairs Directoi
Michael D. Holley
General Manager