PP&L, Inc., places a high priority on providing superior customer service. Its commitment to improving customer service performance is reflected in the results of a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission staff report released Wednesday (10/7).

PP&L, Inc., had the lowest complaint rate per 1,000 residential customers among major electric utilities in the state, and the lowest rate of PUC infractions per 1,000 residential customers in 1997, according to the report from the PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services.

"We have a wide-ranging customer service program, and people who are dedicated to providing outstanding service," said John R. Menichini, PP&L, Inc., vice president for Customer Services. "We believe customer service is one of the attributes that sets PP&L, Inc. apart from other electric companies."

The PUC report, which is issued annually, assesses how effectively utilities respond to complaints, collect overdue bills and negotiate payment arrangements for overdue bills.

The Bureau of Consumer Services' assessment is one tool that PP&L, Inc., uses to evaluate customer service performance, Menichini said. The company also relies upon other tools, such as customer comments and a variety of customer surveys, to gauge the level of customers' satisfaction with the service they receive.

"The results of the PUC report, on the whole, show that PP&L, Inc., people are responsive, handle customer complaints fairly and properly, and are able to work with customers to negotiate payment of overdue bills," he said.

Improvements documented in the report are even more noteworthy, he said, because of the increase in calls that resulted from changes in the electricity business. Last fall, for example, calls to PP&L, Inc.'s customer service center nearly doubled because of customers enrolling in or asking questions about the state's customer choice pilot program.

"Although competition in the electricity business has barely begun, in the long run, we believe it is going to help spur all electric utilities to improve the quality of their customer service," Menichini said.

Other highlights of the PUC report pertaining to PP&L, Inc. include the following:

• The rate of justified complaints (ones in which the company did not act in accordance with PUC regulations), fell by 50 percent in 1997, and was less than half of the state average for electric companies.
• The rate of PUC infractions, in addition to being the lowest in the state, was three times lower in 1997 than it was in 1996.
• The rate of justified payment arrangement appeals to the PUC was the lowest among electric utilities.
• Response time to customer complaints and requests for payment arrangements was second fastest among electric utilities and remained considerably below the state average.

"We are constantly looking to improve the quality of our customer service," Menichini said. "The trends are positive, and we are working to assure that customers continue to recognize PP&L, Inc., as a company they choose to do business with."