The City of Thomasville is observing Public Power Week, National Public Natural Gas Week and National Customer Service Week in early October. According to Chris White, Assistant Utilities Superintendent, these commemorations are meant to celebrate the benefits of locally owned utilities and the dedicated staff that provide them.
“We are proud to not only provide competitively-priced and reliable energy services to our customers, but also to deliver that service in a way that exceeds the expectations of our community,” said White. “Fulfilling our mission is possible in part because of the knowledgeable and experienced staff that comprises Team Thomasville.”
Public Power Week, celebrated October 7th – 13th, recognizes the importance of public power to our community, something that is especially important to Thomasville as it allows our community to operate without property taxes. Each year, more than 2,000 community-owned utilities, like City of Thomasville Utilities, observe Public Power Week, which celebrates the not-for-profit electric utilities that proudly serve the electric power needs of about 40 million Americans - or almost 15 percent of electricity consumers. “This week - and every week - we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the men and women who work to provide our community with safe, reliable electric service,” said White.
Public Natural Gas Week, also celebrated October 7th – 13th, is an annual nationwide event intended to build public awareness about the value of having a community-owned natural gas utility. There are approximately 1,000 public natural gas systems serving more than 5 million customers. “These public natural gas utilities are not-for-profit retail distribution entities that are owned by and accountable to the citizens they serve,” White said. “The City of Thomasville thanks the dedicated members of our Natural Gas Department who bring safe, reliable service to our community.”
National Customer Service Week, celebrated October 1st – 5th, was established by the International Customer Service Association in 1984 and proclaimed a national event by the U.S. Congress in 1992. National Customer Service Week celebrates the men and women who provide exceptional customer service each day to the citizens of Thomasville. “Delivering exceptional service that exceeds the expectations of our community is the goal of Team Thomasville,” said White. “This week, we salute those that work directly with our customers and who are truly the faces of our organization.”
The City of Thomasville intends to celebrate these weeks and the employees that make it all possible by celebrating not only staff members, but customers as well. “For Team Thomasville, it truly is an honor and privilege to serve our community,” said Chelsie Cosby, Customer Experience Liaison. “We want to mark these important weeks by celebrating our customers as well.”
Customers are invited to join city staff at the Administrative Building, located at 111 Victoria Place, each afternoon throughout the week of October 7th – 13th from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. for special treats. “Our customer service staff will be serving light refreshments daily, just as a way to thank our customers,” said Cosby. “We’ll also have special booths with information available daily for our customers, such as ways to save on their utility bills and other programs that are available by the City of Thomasville.”
In addition, Team Thomasville is banding together to make a bigger impact by collecting canned goods for The Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen. “Many of us are fortunate to be in a position to help others in our community who may struggle with hunger,” Cosby said. “As we head into the cooler months, we felt it would be a great way to give back to our community by helping to support this organization and stocking their pantry.”
Customers are encouraged to drop off canned goods at the Administrative Building each day, beginning October 1st, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Those that donate will be rewarded with a special gift, just for participating. “This is a great opportunity to meet your Customer Service staff, contribute to a local agency dedicated to helping those in the community, and enjoy the celebrations,” said Cosby