Avista receives national utility customer service award

SPOKANE — Avista recently received the Edison Electric Institute’s 2017 National Key Accounts Award for Outstanding Customer Service.

The award is given to electric companies that provide superior service to national, multi-site energy customers. Avista was one of only eight recipients chosen by customers in a nationwide open-ballet process. Ann Carey, Avista national account executive, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

More than 700 companies, encompassing a variety of industries — including national brands such as Microsoft, Walmart, Staples, Marriott Hotels and Costco — were eligible to nominate and vote for utilities that go “above and beyond their expectations.” They were then asked to rate those selected companies on important traits, including innovative offerings, ease of incentive programs, and appropriate communications and customer support before, during, and after outages. Most of the voting companies are in at least 48 states and work with hundreds of different utilities.

“To be one of the few utilities in the country receiving this award is a real honor,” said Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista Utilities, “and an acknowledgment of the incredible service our employees provide to our customers.”

About Avista Utilities:

Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 375,000 customers and natural gas to 336,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA). For more information, please visit www.avistautilities.com.