Monica Whiting has been hired as JEA chief customer officer by Managing Director/CEO Paul McElroy to help the utility achieve its goals for improved customer service.
JEA has been at or near the bottom of the rankings for J.D. Power & Associates Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study in the midsize segment of the Southern Region since 2010.
The rankings have been recognized as a signal of needed change.
"Sometimes one of the hardest things to do in situations like that is to really listen to what our customers have to say without getting defensive and without wanting to justify it," said Whiting.
Whiting, 43, says she doesn't like to sit back and watch as work is taking place. However, during her first few months in Jacksonville she has been meeting with customer service staff and observing how the system operates.
"We are doing a lot of listening and a lot of culture change in saying we don't need to fear when customers complain to us and give us feedback we don't want. We need to ask more questions, we want to learn and we want to understand, 'is there a better way to do this?'" said Whiting.
Before joining JEA, Whiting was the general manager of Customer Revenue & Services at Colorado Springs Utilities. The utility was ranked third in the midsize segment of the West Region in the 2012 J.D. Power study.
Colorado Springs was similar to JEA because it offers electricity, water, sewer and gas. JEA offers electricity, water and sewer services.
"I think that was a part of what was so appealing to JEA and Paul (McElroy) about me was coming here and knowing the tool and model and how to navigate through tough and challenging times and still maintain high customer satisfaction," said Whiting.
Whiting worked at Colorado Springs Utilities for about 17 years. She wasn't looking for another job when she learned of the JEA opening.
"(The job at JEA) really aligned with my background and skill sets. Jacksonville is an amazing community and JEA has a reputation in the industry for being a phenomenal municipal utility," she said.
"My family and I had vacationed in Florida for many, many years and had always loved it. My husband and I had always planned on retiring here," said Whiting.
Whiting attended Leadership Jacksonville's New Leadership Summit in April.
"It provided a great background and history of the Jacksonville area and gave me a framework of the Jacksonville culture. I saw a bringing together of people who have called Jacksonville home for decades," said Whiting.
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