Electric cooperative member services representatives are regularly relied upon to quickly solve problems, handle complaints and make other quick decisions. In the case of JCE Co-op’s Jamie Twombly, they can also be lifesavers.
Last fall, the lead member care representative for the co-op was taking a payment over the phone from a member when she noticed he suddenly seemed incoherent and was slurring his words.
“When I asked for his account number, he would go from numbers to letters,” said Twombly. Even though she was eventually able to process the payment, “I could just tell something was off, and I felt uneasy.”
Twombly pulled aside Member Care Manager Sue Glick, and they located the member after a quick check of the co-op’s backlog of recorded calls. “Once we pulled a prior call and listened to it, we knew right away that something didn’t sound right,” Twombly said.
She immediately called 911 and asked if emergency responders could conduct a wellness check at the member’s home. The co-op employees were relieved to later learn that the member survived after receiving emergency care at a local hospital.
While there’s no shortage of stories of lineworkers going above and beyond the call of duty when they encounter emergencies while on the job, member care representatives are also well-positioned to save the day.
“Jamie did the right thing,” Glick said. “This was one of those feel-good moments, when she listened to her instincts and took 5 minutes out of her day to make a big difference in someone’s life.”
