Customer Service Management Certificate | American Public Power Association

Overview
Courses
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Overview

Struggling to keep up with changing customer preferences and new technologies? Get up to speed with the Academy’s Customer Service Management Certificate program.

In-person classes are held once a year, at one of our education institutes (winter, spring or fall). The next offering will be in conjunction with our [insert Institute name, dates, location].

The Customer Service Management Certificate program comprises five required courses on customer service operations, technologies, strategies, and leadership. After completing these courses, you must pass an online exam and submit a service department assessment/business plan.

The required courses are offered at an Academy Education Institute once a year.

Or, we can bring the courses to your location at any time — a convenient and cost-effective option for groups of eight or more. You can customize course content to meet organizational goals. You can also partner with neighboring public power utilities, state and regional associations, or joint action agencies to bring the training to your area. This is ideal for utilities with travel restrictions or joint action agencies looking for training options for members. For more information on in-house options, contact EducationInfo@PublicPower.org.

Who Should Attend

Customer service reps, managers, & supervisors
Utility managers with cross-departmental responsibilities
Senior executives
Board/council members

Courses

To earn the Customer Service Management Certificate, you must complete five courses and may take them at Education Institute or at different times. The required courses are

Electric utility industry overview (participants who can demonstrate advanced industry knowledge, through work experience or coursework, may opt out of this course)
Strategies for successful customer service operations
Utility collections: The complete process
Technology: From distribution to meter reading and customer information systems
Modeling customer service in your leadership style

Within one year of attending the last required course, you must

Pass an online exam: The online exam, made up of 75 multiple choice questions, will assess comprehension of the five required courses. You can take the exam at your convenience, after finishing the coursework requirement. You must score at least 75% to pass the exam. You have two opportunities to pass the test — thereafter a $50 fee is required to retake the exam.
Submit a plan for a customer service department assessment or service improvement project: The project must focus on evaluating and improving your customer service culture and operations. You can choose one of four provided topics or submit your own topic for instructor approval. You’ll receive plan guidelines for what is expected in each section.

Instructors

Steve VanderMeer, Senior Vice President, Planning and Marketing, Hometown Connections

Steve has been with Hometown Connections for 20 years, providing consulting, training, and facilitation to public power utilities and their governing boards. He has worked with municipal governments and non-profit organizations on strategic planning, governance, organizational assessments, public participation, market research, and customer service. He has authored APPA’s Customer Service: Building a Strong Infrastructure for Your Utility.

Pat Corrigan, Principal, Katama Technologies

Pat has more than 35 years of utility industry experience, including 10 years in public power. He has worked with businesses offering advanced metering infrastructure, mobile device management, outage management, transmission and distribution equipment, distribution automation, demand side management, energy management, and electric/water/and gas metering. He has helped corporations with enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, web services, and new technology investments.