A Letter from the General Manager:
Greetings, LLP Members and Customers:
As we have enjoyed a warmer summer, so much has changed at Lakeview since I last wrote to you in the spring of 2022!
Last November, the Lakeview Light & Power Board of Directors approved the 2022 budget, which included a capital component to migrate our enterprise system to a new software platform. This transition has been no easy task. It has caused our staff to be stretched thin as they continue to support their normal job functions while learning the new system, including the tools they will use to do that work. We successfully transitioned our financial modules (accounts payable/receivable, payroll, work orders, etc.) to the new NISC iVue system May 23, but there is much work left to accomplish. The next implementation is an equally important module that I would like to tell you more about, as it involves you.
On August 29, we moved the next module—customer billing and portal—from our current system to NISC iVue’s Customer Care and Billing (CCB). One element of the CCB package that I am excited to tell you about is SmartHub. SmartHub is NISC iVue’s secure web and mobile app, which provides customers with many tools and options to manage their payments and other account information. We encourage all of our customers to visit our website August 29 to register and create your SmartHub profile. Some of the many benefits are:
Enhanced Account Management: With SmartHub, customers can pay their bills, update contact information, access their current bills, view historical payment and usage data, and manage their account preferences within the mobile app or on the web.
Multichannel Messaging: Customers have unique needs and preferences. SmartHub has a communication channel to fit your preference. Whether text, push notification, email or phone, you can set your preferences and be sure you receive the information you need, when you need it. Likewise, it provides LLP with new and dynamic ways to communicate with our customers regarding planned service outages, energy-efficiency information, promotions and much more.
Paperless Billing: Paperless billing is much more convenient, secure and efficient than paper bills via mail. For a limited time, LLP will offer a $5, one-time bill credit to sign up for paperless billing. Everyone who registers for paperless billing, is eligible for the credit, limited to one per household or business owner. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to migrate current paperless billing participants, as such, into the new system. Therefore, encourage LLP customers to reregister and opt in for the paperless billing option.
SmartHub will also provide you with ways to report service issues and outages. This integration will occur February 2023, when we roll out NISC iVue’s Outage Management System (OMS). OMS will be the final phase of our enterprise system migration. This will provide customers with visibility to and real time notifications of outage and restoration information.
Currently, there are a few changes to the way we accept payments. Customers will continue to be able to pay their bills via the SmartHub mobile app, on the web, by phone or in person. Due to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance and security, LLP customer service representatives will no longer be able to take credit card payments through the drive-thru window or gather credit card information over the phone. Credit card payments can be made via the SmartHub mobile app or web page, calling the new customer payment line (844) 937-1669. We will continue to accept in-person credit card payments but only through our lobby.
We have a page on our website dedicated to providing you with information, including a brief tutorial on how to create your user account within SmartHub. We will also communicate the information through social media posts and continued billing inserts. If you need further assistance, our friendly customer service team is ready to help you. Please reach out to them via email or by phone (253) 584-6060.
Sincerely,
John DeVore
General Manager