Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Accordingly, a 'genius' is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.
I have recently been covering utility billing and customer service technology issues. Last week I covered new functionality that utilities themselves are beginning to ask for when it comes to the customer information system (CIS). Many of you responded to that newsletter with feedback related to progress that has been and still needs to be made. Granted, we as an industry have come a long way with dynamic pricing, demand response, smart meters, renewable integration via net metering and net billing. Yet we have a long way to go.
One reader challenged that some of the functionality being requested by utilities require fundamental changes in how we provision customer service. For instance, why does billing need to be a batch process? Many of the new functionality require real-time billing that can support scale and allow new features such as starting new rates on any date (not just on the cycle date) and time (not just midnight). Another reader suggested that billing determinant calculations move to the “smart” meter itself. I know that the meter data management (MDM) vendors have been entertaining billing determinant calculations in the MDM, which already performs validation, estimation, and editing. Interesting that the MDM market is consolidating quickly – e-Meter/Siemens, Ecologic Analytics/L+G, and Itron and Oracle having their own MDMs.
Interacting with customers, which many are calling consumer engagement, includes new technologies such as mobile apps, social networks, smart thermostats, and in-home displays. Would you download an “app” from your utility if you could see the status of electricity, gas, water (on/off), report outages, see usage in near real-time, set a profile of commodity use in your home, and monitor the results from anywhere in the world? Would you pay for that app? In a couple of months I plan to attend the AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference & Exposition in Ft. Worth, TX (http://www.aga.org/Events/2012Events/aga-eei-cust-srvc-conf-and-expo/Pages/Default.aspx). Many of these topics will be addressed there. While I cannot do justice to the planned agenda found at (http://www.aga.org/Events/2011Events/ExecConf2011/Documents/2012%20Cust%20Serv%20and%20Low%20Income%20Conf%20Preliminary%20Agenda.pdf), a few of the general session topics include:
I have been known to look at utility customer service through generational lenses, many times comparing how my own family interacts with others. Myself? I never call the utility unless I have to. When I have to, I may call the call center. Last night I interacted with Comcast via online chat on their website, which is a huge step for me. My son, who is 15 years old, would rather text than speak on the phone. He will certainly download apps to the tablet and run them until he drains the batteries (energy efficiency is a topic for another time). When will he be a utility customer? If his mom and dad are successful in getting him through college and into the job market, in less than ten years. How will the utilities interact or engage him?
Jon Brock is President of utility and energy advisor Desert Sky Group, LLC. He can be reached at jbrock@desertskygroup.com
Mew's debut album "Frengers" was an unexpected mini masterpiece from a Danish band who have since supported REM and have even improved the quality and vast range with their follow up "And The Glass Handed Kites". Although Designer Magazine have seen Mew several times over the years, your correspondent has never seen the band live before so it will be interesting to see how they manage to successfully re-create the subtle, ambitious scope of their albums.
Tonight, these crazy Danes have decided to play their regular set backwards which is unorthodox, but a delightful surprise. All the band are smartly dressed, but it's heart throb guitarist Bo Madsen, eye candy for the ladies, smouldering looks, flawless complexion and long flowing hair making him the Johnny Depp of Mew. Lead singer Jonas Bjerne is an unassuming character, short in stature but high in drama with a versatile, at times fragile, vocal which tugs at the old heart strings at regular intervals. It's a dazzling light show as well, although the strobes are a little overpowering (blinding the fans isn't a good career move guys). "Comforting Sounds" is dreamy, anthemic, beautifully arranged and performed with just a smidgen of prog rock. "Apocalypso" is a lot rockier and more immediate with elements of emo and grunge with undercurrents of Joy Division. As the songs are performed in reverse Mew do their encore after their second track, the fans encouraged to just accept their unusual approach. The backdrop shows increasingly strange, but unforgettable animated films of animals with human characteristics which has to be out of this world visually.
"She Comes Home For Christmas", a classic Mew single, has the kind of resonance and whimsy you'd find in the work of Mercury Rev. You can tell by the crowds response that they're really connecting with Mew as they encouragingly shout songtitles, jostle around and sing in unison for each and every song. They're lush harmonies on "Zookeepers Boy" and an amazing show stopper of a track in the guise of "China-Berry Tree" where afterwards the fans at the front literally fall over themselves in order to secure tonight's sacred set list.
I'll leave you with the opinion of die hard fan Dave who's travelled all the way from London to see one of his favourite bands.. He describes seeing Mew as "like swimming down a ravine of chocolate milk and spinning off into outer space inhabited by marshmallow dreams". I couldn't have put it better myself, Mew are an inspirational European band who have the talent and presence to be successfully in our very own country. Godspeed to the best thing to have come out of Denmark since their bacon