Date: November 6, 2003
Subject: Builder Web Site
Contact:  Cindy King, Director of External Affairs

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation (Sawnee) announced today that it has developed and placed into use a unique, first-of-its-kind in Georgia, web site tailored specifically to improve the efficiency and ease of requesting electric service by builders and developers in its service area.  Sawnee found that a large number of the new service requests and other activities coming into its Customer Service Center in Cumming, Georgia, were from various home builders in the area. 

“We looked at the data and it suggested that our home builders were contributing approximately 20% or 1 in 5 of all activities that were coming into our Call Center, and we wanted to see what we could do to make their jobs and our work more efficient, less costly and more convenient,” states Blake House, Vice President of Member Services.  “The builders told us in a series of focus group meetings held in our office that they had access to the internet and other forms of computer technology, and they hated to be on hold.”   Based on the information collected by Sawnee’s staff, they developed a “password protected” web site that each builder can access at his/her convenience and request new service, track existing requests and communicate with the Customer Service staff.  “This is a win - win situation for the builders of Sawnee and for us,” adds Ryan Satterfield, Supervisor of Customer Accounts.   “The builders did not need to wait on a customer service representative to become available in order to check on their jobs or to tell us that they are now ready for us to complete a simple task for them,” he adds. 

One of the key features of the new system is that a confirmation is automatically emailed to the builder verifying that a request has been received and listing when certain key steps will be taken, such as the anticipated date the “job” will be built.  The builders interviewed were pleased that Sawnee is able to alert them when they are about to take these actions.  “If you can get someone to try it, they will stop calling and stop sending faxes... because it works” was heard as the system was being demonstrated in early November.  This is a new and revolutionary approach to providing “customer self-service” to this important and growing sector of the electric utility market.  Sawnee has listened to the demands of its consumers and developed products that will meet these ever-changing needs. 

 About Sawnee EMC

Sawnee is an electric distribution utility headquartered in Cumming, Georgia.  Sawnee serves over 120,000 consumers/members throughout an ever-growing distribution system of over 8,000 miles of facilities located in seven (7) counties in northern Georgia.  Sawnee has assets of over $300 million and annual sales of electric energy exceeding $170 million.  With a dedicated and knowledgeable staff of over 300 professionals, Sawnee is meeting the needs of its members/owners which rank it as the tenth (10^th) largest cooperative in the nation and among the fastest growing.  Sawnee EMC, “we’re more than electricity, we’re service”.