Co-op News
What Makes a Co-op Best-in-Class
You’d think that if your co-op ranks No. 1 in 15 out of 18 survey categories, the boss would be pleased. And make no mistake, at Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative, president and general manager Wayne Whitaker is happy—but not completely satisfied.
Wayne Whitaker
“We want to get better,” Whitaker said. And so, the Texarkana, Ark.-based co-op is focused on improving in the three areas where it wasn’t atop the business members’ edition of the 2009 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference.
“Clearly that demonstrates they’re doing something right. They’re excellent, frankly, at serving small and medium-size business,” said Tim Sullivan, director of commercial and industrial business development at Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives. That focus on service earned Southwest Arkansas EC a starring role in the recent Touchstone Energy Web conference, “Service Excellence Amid Turmoil: A Look at Best-in-Class Business Customer Support in Tough Times.”
Whitaker credited his co-op’s workforce as being a key to success. “In order for us to offer first class electric service we believe that we do have to have a first class workforce,” Whitaker said. That starts during the hiring process, where, he said, “You really need to be looking for somebody that’s going to make this cooperative successful.”
Southwest Arkansas EC also focuses on member services. “What I like to tell everybody is it’s not a job title, it’s everyone’s job,” Whitaker said. “If a member has a problem, the person who is talking with them at that moment should do their best to try to resolve” the issue, he said. That means linemen and servicemen, as well as folks at the office front counter. The co-op has also expanded its district offices to better serve consumers.
One happy member is the Genoa Independent School District whose superintendent, Albert Murphy, also took part in the webinar.
“The last five years we’ve had a lot of construction on our campuses,” Murphy said, noting that Southwest Arkansas EC has been very helpful with designing and planning for energy needs.
“They also make sure we have service as fast as possible when storms occur,” Murphy said. “They’ve been more than quick to get us restored.”
Tags: Consumer-Members, Touchstone Energy, Trends Reports and Analyses