The Coconino sun., 1924-02-29
table to the consumer to use this ser

vice.
The public utility is selling service.
Not electricity, or gas or water, but
service; these products being a part
of that service. 1t then becomes in-
cumbent upon the utility to see that
the consumer is getting the greatest
value from the product he purchases. |
If he is wasting electricity or gas it /
IS the duty of the supplying utility to
point out the wastes, if possible, and
assist him in preventing them. This
policy it might seem would result in
reduction of sales, but ultimately it /
will increase sales. If the consumer
can use the service to a greater ex-
tent to his own advantage it is equal
Iy required that he be urged to do so,
but if the consumer is urged to install
apparatus of doubtful value to him
merely to increase the utility's sales
the action cannot be justified on moral
grounds and is certain to react adj
versely in business way.
The utility must serve the commun-
ity without discrimination. There
must be no favorites. The keen and
crafty buyer must receive courteous
but firm treatment. He is entitled to
no better prices than anyone else HIS 4
insistence must not be allowed to de-
velop a prejudice against him. He
should be given the best possible ser
vice, but he is not entitled to more
than is granted his less insistent
neighbor. The less careful man must
have his service watched the more
closely to be sure that he is getting
all he pays for He is paying for SER
vice and part of that service is see
ing that he gets the maximum of re-
suits from the money expended. The
man who places his affairs in your
Ehands for administration has placed
you under q moral obligation to ham
die the matter to his best advantage
without regard to your own.
The public is entitled to courtesy.
Not the fawning "you are always
right and | am wrong" type But the
| patient kind that realizes that the
consumer is supposed to know less
about the service offered than the en-
| ployee of the utility. The courtesy
that explains rather than argues. The
! courtesy that does not try to prove
! a customer to be untruthful but in
| stead locates the sources Of the mis-
understanding and explains it if it
is a misunderstanding or rectifies it
| it it is an error. All complaints
should receive thorough investiga-
tion, not merely a formal one, and
report should be made to the party in
terested. If he was sufficiently IN
1 terested to ask for an investigation
he will doubtless be interested in the
4 e-b<
plants sufficient attention to be sure
Trey are properly taken care as some
times employees will attempt to cover
their own errors to the detriment of
! the service.
The careful and considerate hand
ling of complaints is of greater i'm
1 portance with business enjoying a
monopoly than in the competitive
field. The customer must come to
the monopoly for his service. He can
go no where else and down deep in
his heart that very fact annoys him;
it makes him quick to take offense.
II He is suspicious subconsciously if not
I openly, and an Indifferent attitude on
the part of an employe of the utility
i is quicklyeresented. He is no differ
/ ent from the rest of us; he has the
same fundamental desire for freedom
I, of choice and the restriction is an ir-
ritation And it is this one thing that
probably is the greatest cause of the
I prejudice against public utilities as q
class. 1t is disappearing as those IN
charge of such concerns insist upon
a greater measure of courtesy among
their employees, take greater pains to
see that the consumer gets square
deal" and are becoming less secre-
tive as to the business of the utility,
about which the public has a legiti-
mate curiosity. To be sure we have
always the chronic kicker, who cannot
be placated or made to understand,
but it is more pleasant to think of
that blessed ninety-five per cent who
always pay their bills when they can
and will accept graciously reason
able explanation or adjustment in the
case Of something unusual.
A monopoly should cover the whole
community which it serves. As the
community prospers and grows it
prospers and grows. It is, therefore,
incumbent upon it to be active in all
matters of public welfare and civic
progress. The public has a right to
expect greater measure of support
from such an organization than from
concerns serving a limited field. It
should be represented in civic and
commercial organizations and its en-
n ployees, so far as possible, should be
selected from among the public spir-
tied men, and should be encouraged
to take part wherever their services
are welcomed.
And finally, the monopoly, par
ticularly if utility, should keep all
who may be interested informed as
to it's general business progress and
should do what it may to educate its
customers in the best use of its prod
uct. The welfare of the community
and of the individual consumer, de-
pends to some extent, sometimes to
q large extent, upon the efficiency of