SMUD’s Storm Response Team Drives Operational Excellence
During a series of storms from December 2022 to January 2023, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) faced massive damage: 1,250 wire-down incidents and more than 1,000 tree-related issues, leading to 2,300 outages affecting 632,000 customers. In response, SMUD swiftly brought on contract crews and mutual aid to restore power. Recognizing the need for improved processes, SMUD’s Executive team launched a “Storm Response Team” on February 2. Led by the Chief Operating Officer, this team included directors from various departments and met regularly throughout the year to drive operational excellence. Their efforts culminated in a comprehensive portfolio of improvements, earning SMUD Chartwell’s Silver Best Practices Award in Outage Operations Award.
Speakers:
• Tracy Carlson, Director, Customer Operations and Community Energy Services, SMUD
Tracy Carlson brings 25 years of experience in all aspects of customer service and operational leadership. She’s currently responsible for SMUD’s Community Energy Services department, supporting Community Choice Energy clients, as well as SMUD’s contact center operations, digital and self-service operations, and billing department. Tracy has been recognized for her expertise and success in engaging multifunctional teams and cultivating business relationships.
• Jenna Lesch, Manager, Customer Strategy & Operations, SMUD
As SMUDs Digital Operations Manager, Jenna supports the delivery of exceptional experiences to SMUDs customers across digital and self-service channels including SMUDs My Account, Mobile App, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System, Outbound Notifications and Alerts, and CSR Live Chat and Email. Jenna is a self-proclaimed customer advocate with over 25 years of customer service experience across various industries and teams.
