OCR Text |
Show Employees Learn UP&L To Close Its Panguitch Office R IC HFIELDP AN U U ITCH Three employees at the Panguitch office of Utah Power & Light learned Tuesday morning that their office will be closed by the power company in the first quarter of 1996. Utah Power announced Tuesday that it is restructuring its operations to enable the company to provide a greater variety of customer cus-tomer services, while also continuing continu-ing to keep prices low. One employee was promised continued employment, but the future fu-ture of the other two with UP&L remains uncertain. Offices will also be closed in 12 other Utah communities in early 1996. ' The company will begin to phase-in changes during the first quarter of 1996, with all service offerings of-ferings in place and office changes completed by year's end 1996. "Competition and a continuing commitment to customers have caused Utah Power to take a close look at its ability to provide better and wider ranges of customer services," ser-vices," said Mark Cox, General Business Manager. "We believe the structure and processes we have planned will enable us to provide 21st century customer service by the end of 1996." He added that all utilities in the country are facing the fact that there are others who want to service their customers. Cox said the carefully-planned, phased-in approach taken by the company includes a business or phone center concept. With business busi-ness centers in place, the company will have the ability to deal with even the most complex customer issues with one phone call. He said the company will use the state-of-the-art technology, improved customer cus-tomer service processes, 24-hour operations, and a new computer system to provide "best in class" customer service. "Eighty-five percent of customers cus-tomers already do business with Utah Power by mail or phone," said 4 Cox. "Those operations will remain re-main and will be expanded by the end of 1996 to include payment options op-tions outside the customer office, j and other ways for our customers to save time. We expect our customers cus-tomers to experience an improved level of customer service with all the new options." Utah Power will roll-out j changes in four phases. In the first phase, which will occur in the first j quarter of 1996, the company will ! eliminate walk-in billing, payment and credit services at 13 of its Utah offices including Panguitch. The others in Utah are Castle Dale, Delta, Draper, Gunnison, Ivins, Layton, Milford, Moroni, Orem, j Park City and Salt Lake City's ! Lake office at 1605 W. North Temple. In Idaho, five Utah Power offices are affected: Arco, Lava, Malad, Rigby and St. Anthony. The second phase will implement imple-ment a new customer information system that will service as the backbone of support the business j centers. Business centers will come on line in the third phase. Once rollout is complete in the last quarter quar-ter of 1996, Utah Power plans to eliminate similar service options at most of the company's other customer cus-tomer offices. These offices will be identified later in 1996. Cox will continue to focus on customer in the community. The company's field services personnel and others will also continue to provide additional customer services. ser-vices. Utah Power's line crews will ensure that the high quality of electrical elec-trical service will be unaffected by these changes. Cox said Utah Power is a strong company because it is a low cost generator of electricity, but that in itself is no longer good enough in a competitive world. "We must also be the best provider of energy-related services." he said. That requires focusing (See UP&L To Close Panguitch Office On Page 2A) UP&L Panguitch From Page 1 more closely on customer and identifying iden-tifying opportunities to provide system to provide "best in class" customer service. "Eighty-five percent of cus-customers cus-customers with more choices, better and faster than we ever have." |