The Villages’ Utility Billing Department is beefing up staff to handle complaints from water customers.
Utility Billing and Collections Manager Brandi Ricker on Monday afternoon updated the North Sumter County Utility Dependent District Board on changes in her department aimed at improving customer service.
A new customer service manager has been added to the payroll along with other staff, Ricker said. In addition, a new phone system is scheduled to go online soon. She said customers who have been on hold a long time, feel they are being “rushed” when they finally reach a customer service representative.
The Utility Billing Department has been in the headlines after residents began showing up at NSCUDD meetings complaining about sudden unexplained surges in their water usage. Many residents complained that their concerns were not heard and they were told to “pay up” or face late fees and even possibly water shutoff.
District officials have insisted that the meter error rate is less than 1 percent.
However, public pressure has apparently been significant enough to prompt changes at the Utility Billing Department.
“We are here to help the residents. We want to walk them through the process,” said Ricker, who has been with the department since 2019. “We don’t want residents to think we are just trying to talk over them.”
NSCUDD is looking at moving to an automated meter reading system. The change could be extremely expensive on the front end, but could save money in the long run by cutting labor costs.
The new meter reading options could include “drive by” readings or completely automated reading that would completely eliminate the meter readers.
Jacobs is the contractor obtaining the meter readings in the familiar blue golf carts in The Villages. The readings are transmitted to the Utility Billing Department.
