Our View

Our View

Time to roll out the online utility pay, pretty or not

If our memory serves us correctly, its been about a year now that West Memphis utility customers were told they would have the opportunity to take advantage of a new Internet bill paying service, a convenience that is certainly not new technology.

Well, here we are months later and customers are still being forced to use snail mail or a drive-thru that during peak billing periods forces customers to wait in long lines.

But wait, Assistant Utilities Manager Todd Pedersen revealed the other day that there is a new Internet bill paying service available but because there are some utility commissioners objecting to the pictures on the utility department’s web page implementation is being postponed indefinitely. Yes, you read that right.

So seems, some appointed commissioners are just plain upset that the photographs posted by the web page designers are stock photos of the Mississippi River and the Memphis side and doesn’t show West Memphis scenes.

If this just isn’t one of the most asinine things we’ve heard as a legitimate reason to hold up this upgraded service that will benefit scores of utility customers who have been forced to pay their monthly utility bills with methods that are absolutely old-fashioned, outdated and totally antiquated.

It would be interesting to know how many of these political appointees even use on-line bill paying in their personal business, if they even know what Apple Pay is or even inquired about Walmart’s new cell phone app that allows customers to use their “smart” phones to make purchases.

Based on their apparent lack of interest in this on-line paying capability it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that these citizen appointees still hold up check out lines filling out old-fashioned paper bank checks.

All kidding aside, we have to commend Pedersen for overseeing this added bill-paying convenience and putting up with petty issues that seem to be totally unnecessary.

Much work and testing went into this added customer service including making sure all utility data is rolling over from one system into another. After a lengthily trial period Pedersen says everything is working properly and ready to give every utility customer the opportunity of conveniently paying their monthly utility bills via on-line services.

As with any on-line bill paying service, customers will need their account number, and house number.

Pedersen explained to commissioners the statement screen comes up for review before paying the bill. He noted that those customers who have been cutoff for non payment will still be required to go to the utility department and settle the issue in person.

Rather than giving a thumbs-up to the service it was utility Chairman Dana Parker who complained about the photographs and asked Pedersen if they could be changed to show the utility building. Yes folks, Parker wants a photograph of the utility building instead of the river photos. Commissioner Jerry Burns chimed in and added, “That was the first thing I thought of when I saw it,” which drew this response from City Attorney David Peeples who said, “You have go to be kidding me. A picture? They should have asked about that when the web page was being designed.”

Well, with that Pedersen calmly explained that to make a change in the web design at this point will cause further delay and added cost, not to mention added inconvenience to many West Memphis utility customers.

Well, what else can be said other than this is governmental bureaucracy at its best.

BIBLE VERSE

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

6:4

Ephesians