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Feb 03 , 2010
Last night was great chatting with KHQ viewers about energy assistance and Avista. If you didn't have a chance to join in you can view the chat log here.
Do you find value in live chats? Should we do them more? E-mail me to offer your thoughts. We did a previous live chat in November - read about it here. Jan 25 , 2010
We don’t get a great deal of comments on this blog. I get it. Unlike most other blogs out there, your user name shows your actual first name and last initial. For example, mine says ‘Dan K’ when I reply to comments here. Most people prefer an alias and a bit more anonymity in their online participation, which is why e-mail is the most popular way customers reach the blog and that’s cool. The Avista Utilities website, as you might expect, was originally designed for customers to log-in to their My Accounts to access billing and account info – not blog comments. But through the wonder of technology, our tech folks added the blog into the mix, allowing comments on posts from customers like you from one account sign-in. Everyone can read the blog, but only customers can comment.
I’ve gotten a few e-mails (note “e-mails”) asking me why we don’t have more comments on the blog. It seems as though some believe comments are the only conversation we’re having with customers. While comments are one outlet – and one that is visible for all to see – it’s not the only one.
E-mail is definitely a popular choice and it is really a key medium that I’ve seen an increase in. Anyone who sends an e-mail to conversation@avistautilities.com will receive a personal reply and an answer to whatever question is on your mind. We’ve even featured some of them on the blog. I’ve had many lengthy e-mail and in-person conversations with customers about rates, our generation mix, billing, power outages, executive compensation, energy efficiency, smart grid, our history, our future, shareholders and profits, environmental stewardship – you name it. We’re also creating videos and sharing information through web banner ads and new content, e-mails, newspaper fliers and community events in the hopes that customers will get in touch with our Customer Service Representatives to get billing assistance, if they need it, before the trouble gets too big to handle. Billing assistance isn’t the only thing you can contact us about, but it’s a big one this time of year. So, would l like it if I had dozens of comments on every post? Yes I would, but that’s not going to happen. In the meantime, I rest easy knowing that customers can e-mail the blog or Customer Service, follow @Dan_at_Avista or @AvistaCares on Twitter, interact with us on various discussion forums, call us at 1-800-227-9187, or just have an informal conversation with an employee you know.
Energy, our services and your needs are important to us and we want to talk about all of them with you.
Are you surprised that your utility wants hear from you? Tell us why.
Jan 07 , 2010
Yesterday we released a video for Avista employees about our use of social media for customers (yes, you). Now, if you’re reading this blog you probably already know all about social media and that’s awesome, but you’re really in the minority. There are many different levels of understanding with social media - from just knowing what the different tools are to actually being comfortable and able to utilize them.
While Avista is very progressive in social media for a utility, that doesn’t mean that everyone understands social media – and that’s OK. What’s a tweet or social network? What does a blogger do? How is this good for Avista customers? All reasonable questions.
The video is titled, “Avista and Social Media.” Sure, the title’s not too catchy, but it briefly explains the most popular social media tools (blogs, Twitter, discussion forums and social networks) and how we’re using them to talk with all of you. I created the video with assistance from Communications Manger Jessie Wuerst and Director of Corporate Communications Linda Jones.
Now remember, the video was created for Avista employees to understand how we’re reaching out to customers online. So, if it seems like it isn’t directed at you, like our other videos, you know why.
If you’ve got questions or comments, drop me a note in the comment section.
Dec 30 , 2009
Everyone is writing the Top 10 “Best of 2009” or “Best of the Decade” lists. The Avista Blog has only been around since June 2009, so we’re only working with six months of material (113 posts), but still think we can offer up a few favorites.
So I’ll get this out of the way up front – this post is a bit self-serving. Listing the best of your own and your co-workers’ work over the year means that only the good stuff gets the spotlight. I’d be happy if you all would create your own Top 5 or 10 and post it in the comment section below, but until then, here’s my take on the Avista Blog’s Top 10 Best Blog Posts of 2009 and why they matter to Avista customers.
1. Transparency in action - Why did I get an insert with my bill? Aug. 17
In the first part of August, Washington customers received a flyer in the mail about Avista’s Washington General Rate case that had been filed in January 2009. Some customers wondered why we were asking for rates changes again. This post, and the following day’s post, “Today’s online chatter about Washington rates,” gave us the opportunity to talk about the lengthy, 11-month rates review process in Washington.
Excerpt: Part of the 11-month process is allowing time for public comments. This flyer, which details the request, provides you an opportunity to share your thoughts with the commission. Included is a tear-off postcard you can mail to the commission with your thoughts. Also included on the insert are the dates and times for public hearings if you’d like to attend. These notices and meetings aren’t new. Both are a part of the on-going process for setting energy prices. Continue reading this post.
2. Video: Noxon Rapids Dam upgrades underway, massive Unit 3 turbine removed, Oct. 30
There is so much you can do with video that might just be lost in a regular blog post. This post, our first to really explore the value of video helped show upgrade and efficiency work happening at Avista’s Noxon Rapids Dam. 3. Decision on Washington rate case due by Dec. 23, Dec. 18
So, why would a post, about something that hasn’t happened yet, matter to this list? It’s all about transparency. When we first started blogging, a few naysayers thought we’d avoid the touchy subjects like rates. We knew the rate decision was near (it was issued on Dec. 22 and we blogged about it the next day) and we wanted to remind everyone that this rate case is the same one we’ve been talking about all year.
Excerpt: One of the most confusing things I’ve encountered working in the utility industry is rate making. It’s a long, rather complicated process that is at times difficult to follow. Sometimes it seems that every mention of a rate case, such as in public hearings, filed testimony before the commissions, mailed brochures and media articles – all sound like separate rate increases. Yet, each event is all a part of the public, transparent rate-making process; one that you’ve been able to participate in all year long. Continue reading this post.
4. Why in the world is Avista blogging? June 1This is the first blog post we ever put up. It explained why Avista was diving into social media and invited you to participate with us.
Excerpt: We hope that the blog will be a place where you can come and learn more about Avista, our actions and vision for today and the future. But it’s not all about us. We wouldn’t exist without you, and we know it. This blog will feature your stories, questions and opinions. And yes, you can disagree with us – that’s OK. Continue reading this post.
5. Giving is a proud Avista tradition, Dec. 22
This was a great post to wrap up the year in giving by Communications Manger, Jessie Wuerst (on twitter: @AvistaCares). Avista and its employees give to the communities we serve all year round, but holiday giving is especially impactful.
Excerpt: I’m proud to work at a company that has a deeply rooted belief in giving back to the communities we serve. I’m proud of the company that encourages and supports employee volunteerism in the communities where we live. I’m proud of the extra effort our company takes to make sure that the Christmas Bureau gets $10,000 and Fresh Start, a warming center in Coeur d’Alene, gets $5,000 to help the homeless and mentally ill when the frigid temps start to descend upon us. I’m proud of the support we give each year to education and economic development and those most vulnerable among us. Continue reading this post.
The rest of the Top 106. Clark Fork Hydro Project marks major milestones, Sept. 10 7. All dialed-in to meter reading, July 278. Answering your questions: Gas prices and the wholesale market, Sept. 39. Answering questions: Smart Grid and peak loads, Nov. 1210. The smart grid for 5-year-olds, Aug. 24
Thanks for a great first year at the Avista Blog.
Nov 22 , 2009
You’d think that after winning the E Source award for Top Utility Website in North America, that we might be content to leave the website alone for a while. Not so. For the next week or two, you won’t be seeing to many content updates on the blog or most of the website, but rest assured, it’s all for the best as we're working on some cool changes to the website.
I won’t give away all the details, but you’ll notice some simple modifications in early December. One thing I will say is that we’re working on improved navigation that will make your experience here even better. I think you’ll like it.
If you want to keep up with the latest utility news, you can always check in with @Dan_at_Avista or @AvistaCares on twitter. We’re also continually placing our latest news releases on the Avista Corp. website. Nov 17 , 2009
This morning – really early this morning – I was lucky enough to host KHQ’s live chat session during the news station’s morning show. All they had to say was, “visit khq.com and ask this guy from Avista anything you want.” And the questions poured in for two hours.
It was great to have so many conversations with customers over a relatively short period of time. We do the same sort of Q and A conversation through our blog inbox, conversation@avistautilities.com, but this was so different because it was not just two-way, but an entire community of people talking about energy.
It was busy and exciting, and in the end I was pretty pleased with the number of topics we covered. We talked about rates, energy efficiency, natural gas markets, land use, relicensing, regulated and investor-owned utilities, power outages, the Avista blog, Comfort Level Billing, the Online Bill Analyzer, estimated meter reads and a lot of stuff in between.
I’d like to say thanks to KHQ and everyone who chatted with me – I’d love to do it again, but if you have questions in the meantime contact us at conversation@avistautilities.com. Oct 21 , 2009
Believe it or not, people using social media actually get together occasionally (yep, in person). Last night was one of those nights for me. I attended the Launchpad INW event, Social Networking Forum in the U!, held in Spokane’s University District at WSU Spokane. I spoke on a discussion panel with Marla Nunberg, Downtown Spokane Partnership; Barb Chamberlain, WSU Spokane; Chris Marr, Washington State Senator and Nick Lawhead, Desautel Hege Communications.
It was great to be able to share information about this blog, our activities on Twitter and discussion forums throughout our service territory. Over the last six months to a year I’ve had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of Avista customers about our company and what we do, but also made connections and had conversations about topics that are non-utility related. A conversation isn’t a one-way street and I’ve learned more about the people and communities we serve using social media then I ever had previously.
The audience was mainly local business professionals who are either using or plan to use social media to talk with their customers or various audiences. My fellow panelists had a wealth of knowledge and best practices about how social media tools are working for them.
I’d love to do a recap of the entire event, but there was so much great info discussed that I’d be writing all day. Here’s one way to get an inside look at the event. Go to search.twitter.com and type in “#SpoSM”. This is called a hashtag on twitter. Every person who used Twitter during last night’s event should have included the #SpoSM hashtag on their tweets (messages). You can follow along from the event’s promotion days earlier to recaps that are popping up online this morning from many different people and businesses. I’ll be sending out a link to this blog post on my Dan_at_Avista Twitter account later this morning. You can click on the hashtag in my tweet as well to find the stream of info.
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Photo of last night’s panel, from left: Marla Nunberg, Barb Chamberlain, Dan Kolbet, Chris Marr and Nick Lawhead. Photo courtesy of Lisa Breitenfeldt, owner of local business Cache Advance. |
Oct 12 , 2009
I’m very pleased that our social media practices were included in the article. It’s been great to talk to customers over the last few months on twitter (despite of the brevity required of the medium). I hope you all will continue to check out our posts.
Here’s a note I wrote on the blog on July 17.
“Twitter is a free service that has taken the Internet and mobile phones by storm over the last year or so. It allows users to follow selected “tweeters” or users and post 140-character messages about just about anything. If you’re not using twitter, you’re not alone and I bet you think it’s weird. Fair enough and I’m not here to convert you.
But if you are using the service, please sign up to follow @Dan_at_Avista. I tweet about our blog posts, interesting happenings at the company and the energy industry. And you might find a little personal info too. I might be a company spokesperson, but the weekends are mine! (Most of the time).”
I’ll continue to talk with customers on twitter, so feel free to send me a message, just make sure to include “@Dan_at_Avista” or “Avista” to make sure I see it. You may also be interested to follow @AvistaCares, a twitter account focused on concerns of Avista’s low-income and senior customers along with their care givers.
See you in the twitosphere.
Sep 30 , 2009
The Spokane County United Way campaign kicked off about a week ago with the United Way Day of Action. The 2009 campaign goal of $4.8 million was announced amid a flurry of volunteer activities by employees of Avista and many other companies around the Spokane area. Check out the video above for a look at the campaign kickoff and what the Day of Action was all about.
Sep 25 , 2009
Starting on Sunday Sept. 27, and continuing on for the next few weeks throughout our service territory, we’ll be running paid media about being a regulated utility. The ad will run twice in each of our service territory newspapers.
People often ask me why we change our rates (up or down). I wish the answer was simple each time, but with the complicated nature of the electric and natural gas utility industry, there are always many reasons backing up every action.
I think we’ve done a pretty decent job on this blog explaining our actions about rates, but there is always this ever-present question hanging over the conversation, “Isn’t Avista a monopoly?” This question implies that we’re unregulated. That is certainly not true. We’re a regulated utility in three states and we can’t simply raise our rates whenever we want.
Here’s an example: when costs go up, some types of businesses can respond by simply raising their prices. We’re different. We’re a regulated utility – and because we’re regulated, our rates are set through a long, detailed and transparent public process.
The bottom line is that our rates can’t change without state approval.
We’re using paid media such as the newspaper ads linked here to reach you directly. Let’s head off an obvious question – why pay for ads when you can just insert something in my bill? The truth is (and if you’re being honest, you’ll agree), you probably don’t read everything that comes in your monthly paper bill or e-bill.
This is an important topic that we want you to be knowledgeable about, so we’re spreading the word this way. We want to share this story and get your thoughts on it. You can send us an e-mail, or comment on this post – or any post – for all customers to see. You can also find out more about being a regulated utility on our Conversation page.
Over the last few months we’ve been able to use e-mail, blogs, twitter, discussion forums, in-person meetings and paid media to have real-life conversations with thousands of you out there.
I’m confident that this frank dialog will continue to be beneficial for us all.
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