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UPDATE
We just learned that the Utility Customer Service Department will be closed on Thursday mornings through October 18. This half day, once a week for 4 weeks will be used to get "its chit together"-- the explanation given to me. As everyone knows, the city commission voted down the out-sourcing of this department that is losing an estimated $100,000 a month with millions of dollars that have been uncollected and probably never will be collected in order to protect Union jobs. Now our employees will finally get trained. "Hello, this is Suzie, customer Service rep, can I help you" and really mean it.
5-18-12
Even people on the outside looking in know when this "visionary" commission makes dumb decisions. Read the Palm Beach Post Editorial.
It was strongly recommended that we outsource our Utility Customer Service department to finally whip that department back into shape. We were going to save 1/2 million dollars the first year. Instead we had to hear political mumbo jumbo from the trio commissioners that it was the Utility Director's fault and other dumb excuses as reasons why it has not worked. They insinuated that the employees were not the problem even though those very same employees have been given chance after chance to improve. We have not been able to correct the problems there for years and the problems continue and are out of control. It's been a joke.
The "visionaries" wanted to protect our employees and cozy up to the Unions. It was a 100% political vote and just plain dumb. Triolo and Amoroso followed Maxwell like sheep and were not the least bit concerned about doing the right thing or for that matter, saving money for the City of Lake Worth. Commissioners McVoy and Mulvehill voted correctly.
I have "not out-sourcing this department" listed as the 4th worst decision by this new commission when it voted "no." The list keeps growing.
17 comments:
Funny how tow people at the same meeting can see the issue in two totally different lights. No fan of public sector unions, I was one of those in the audience who think if a highly paid Director of Utilities can't find anyone who is able to get customer service under control. I have never been able to even get a return e-mail from her on simple questions. She might be the problem, not the three customer service managers she's hired and for some reason or another, left.
Is the gross incompetence possibly the Director, who's jumping ship as we are entering the most treacherous waters on the planet? Is it even in the realm of possibility that average city employees are not out to create havoc on our residents? Maybe they don't have the training they need to do their job properly and who's fault is that?
Connect the dots and take at least one blinder off.
Unfortunatly, the average customer service employee at our Utility is less than average.
As said 100 times, this department did not fall under Mattey's responsibility until the last year. It is the Union that is the problem, IMO. Please check into the facts here.
You can look at it any way in which you choose, however, the problems exist. And what about the money savings?
There has been NO "gross incompetence" by the Utility Director. She is running a power plant. Others are hired to manage customer service. It is the culture of incompetence in that department that can NOT get fixed.
If they don't know what in heck they are doing, are not willing to learn or are just not smart enough to pick up the details of the job--why in heck are we hiring them? The Unions dictate everything.
The dots ARE connected. Your blinders are not allowing you to see the truth.
Take your blinders off. Mattey was paid a hefty amount of money to manage the city's utility. Part of that responsibility is the customer service dept. It's not as if the rest of the utility is operating at 100% capacity. The entire utility is a train wreck. It's all Mattey's responsibility whether you agree or not. She tried to "kick the can down the road" to alleviate herself of the responsibility.
Please explain how the city was going to save $500k by hiring a company? Were they going to pay the city to do the work?
Strange how you don't want to give up "control" of anything by outsourcing, except when the 2 incompetents vote otherwise.
Has the $40 million reverse osmosis plant made any more for the city yet? After all it was you that claimed we would be selling "our" water for a hefty profit.
I have explained Mattey and her role here. Keep passing the blame to her instead of where it belongs.
I don't plan on having a fist fight on this subject. This commission now needs to do the right thing. Also, if you want to know the details of the Utility Audit as well as the proposal by Data Management, please do a public information request--OR--go to a meeting and learn something instead of being belligerent or outraged that gee, someone could have another opinion here even the PB Post.
I give credit where it's due. Hopefully it will be to the trio one of these days soon. :)
If I said that we would be selling our water at a "hefty" profit I don't recall that remark at all. What I have always said though, is that we are in the driver's seat--we will be a supplier of water, not a buyer. This puts us in a very advantageous position.
Please don't mis-quote me.
Good God!! How much training do you need to answer the frickin' phone and be nice to your customers?? Who needs to take off the blinders here?
Mattey improved the electric delivery aspect of the utility immensely. We don't have the same outage problems we had before she got here. She cleaned up the whole operation. Easy to hide yourself and shout gross incompetence. There's been nothing of the sort. And she's free to leave when she chooses. Why sit around and wait to be axed like Stanton and Margolis? I would leave too. The city is being run by a bunch of dopes now.
The people with the blinders on are the ones who pretend not to see what the problem is because then they'd have to agree with the two commissioners they hate. The haters just play political games. Looks pretty stupid to avoid fixing a problem and saving half a million. Because it is pretty stupid. Your argument is weak. Why couldn't Stanton be reformed if that's your argument?? Because the majority can't have a manager who is smarter than them. They had to get rid of her and hire a Dopey Opie.
And now we have a utility board to match the dumbed down commission and the dumbed down city manager. We're on our way down! Turning back the clock on Lake Worth. Who wants to bet that the shiny new utility board (with the chair who has already decided that we should sell to FPL) will say "oh my, these contracts are confusing. We can't figure this out. Let's just sell". Because they don't have the brains or the will to make this work right and they got rid of the people who were capable of doing it.
All hail Queen Mattey.......
Weren't there problems with Customer Service at her previous job that she couldn't manage either?
Mattey is to busy drinking coffee, and riding around in her Hummer, to be able to actually train someone to be nice....
Stanton is gone, so know you are becoming a cheerleader for Mattey? God help us all......
I give credit where it is due. I am not a cheerleader for anyone unless it is deserved. As far as outsourcing customer service, Mattey was right.
Do you just enjoy knocking everyone to the ground?
Becky should take you anony at 11:43 and knock your head up against the nearest utility pole.
Civil Engineer Mattey,should not have been in charge of our Eletric Generation Plant.She fired immediately both of our 2 best longtime Electrical Engineers,when hired, who would have shown her incompetence up, and irresponsibility.The Buck stops ,at the Head of the Dept,people,simpletons!!When she caused a $1000,000 transformer station blowout ,by not following our Insurance procedures, which Co.would have paid for accidents, She brazenly told us she never read our Insurance policy,as she was not an insurance expert.
This insolent answer should have given grounds,
for a capable, real, Citizen representing Commission to fire her. The windbags Commission, including maxwell did nothing,but help her,
to cost us $1,000,000,-.I know our Utility Dept.and have all technical Documentation of it.When $300,000,- bills never were sent out ,the moron Commission still did not fire her. Susan Stanton found a 2year old $150,000 check never deposited, still no Commission action.They fired Susan, were glad to hurt Citizens, for whom they have no respect, but blowing hot air, sitting pompously, in our Commission chairs.
She took no responsibility for anything the Dept.lazy ,employees failed to do.They obviously had no respect for her knowing she was a phony.
We lost $1,000,000,- a year, our latest Audit shows!And she has run? Our Utility rates are high?Snowbirds robbed unfairly of $34.50 p.mo.for no service, to cover theft??Makes Commission deciding to rob snowbirds, thieves.
I know how to create efficient meter readings, taught by an Electric Engineer who is applying that method now ,and saves millions without lazy bums style out sourcing of City jobs not done by incompetents, and ignored by Commissions!
The report critical of Mattey's administrative activities in Ocala preceded her leaving by about 90 days.
The report was compiled by individuals from different municipalities belonging to FMPA.
We really neede that internal auditor!
Our CM stated at the EUAB meeting on Thursday that he had briefed Customer on their upcoming Training Program; said it was favorably received and even got thanked for it; and the CM stated that if it didn't work--he would have to outsource the function.
Well, of course. Should it start operating like a "customer service center" should operate, we will be that much ahead of the game. I do not understand how they kept so many incompetents there for so many years other than the fact it is nearly impossible to fire a union worker. If it is determined that things are not improving, it will be the final say of the commission, just as this decision was. We continue to give our employees chances and more chances which is all about Union dominance and politics. It's been 3 years since the concept of outsourcing was first brought up so time will tell. How long will the CM give them this time? Another 3 years?
Don't worry. We have the genius running who wants his bill discounted by 30% or sell the utility.
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