WATT’S UP SUWANNEE VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EMPLOYEE AND RETIREE NEWSLETTER | FALL 2018
from the ceo
A time to give thanks As the holiday season approaches, I’m reminded how much I have to be thankful for. I have a fantastic wife and three great kids. I get to come to work every day for an organization that provides good pay and benefits and where people work well together and genuinely care about one another. Like many of you, however, this year has not been without its challenges and even sadness. I lost my grandmother in October, and I will miss her, especially during the holidays. But, I can still be thankful for the full life she led and the memories I have of her. There is also a lot to be thankful for here at the co-op. This year, we’ve celebrated retirements, engagements, weddings, births and personal achievements of our co-workers and their family members. Our employees have returned safely to their families at the end of each day, and we were spared the brunt of Hurricane Michael. Seeing what our friends in the Panhandle have gone through should make us all realize how much we are blessed and how relatively small our day-to-day troubles can be. Members See CEO, Page 3
SMORE SAFETY
Safety improvement plan • Teach and train employees about the importance of taking individual ownership of SVEC’s safety program. • Improve on the little things. They matter. • Teach and train about clear communication and follow up with all employees concerning their safety responsibilities and safety rules that pertain to their daily tasks.
187 DAYS without a lost-time injury As of Nov. 15.
MEMBER EXPERIENCE
Showing That You Care Is Magical!
by John Formica While speaking, training and coaching, I explain that it is important to remember that there’s really only one strategy that will have the greatest overall impact on the customer experience. It is showing your customers that you care.
Safety Member Experience Outreach to Community Reliability Economic Viability
Care is the foundation of what you offer to your customers. You are offering to be of service, to be useful — something to benefit your customers — some combination of providing something that’s necessary, removing a pain point/ reducing friction, or adding some comfort or pleasure in their lives. All these are good, but how are you connecting with your customers emotionally? How you express those emotions of caring in the customer experience has become the only true difference maker. How will customers know you care? They know. They “feel it!” Customers have incredible perceptions and can process lots of amounts of incoming information to form emotions and thoughts. They can tell clearly if you care about them or not from the messages you send them during the customer experience process. Do they feel that you can relate to them, that you are interested in them? Is it clear that you know about them, their preferences and past interactions? Is what you’re communicating relevant and personal, and does it demonstrate empathy? What is your tone of voice when you talk with them — excited, enthusiastic, empathetic or robotic? Continued on next page