Flint Energies members will be greeted with enhanced phone system options beginning on Monday, July 18, according to Sr. Vice President Jimmy Autry.

“Members understand the great value of being able to do business with their cooperative at all hours and on the weekend,” said Autry. “Beginning Monday, an enhanced set of features will be available through the 24-hour-a-day interactive voice response.”

The biggest difference in the phone services is the ability to answer a nearly-unlimited number of member requests simultaneously. In the past, Autry said the automated features could answer 12 members at the same time.

“Members will still call us with their local number or 800-342-3616 for regular business,” said Autry. “After hours, they can make payments with credit cards or checks, get their current balance, get the status of their account, get the amount due, get the scheduled disconnection date, get their bill’s due date, get the amount of their last payment, report an outage, request a late payment arrangement, or switch over to text messaging.”

The enhanced phone features join a wide array of services available to Flint’s members. Members can download and use the free Flint Energies app on iPhones or Android phones to pay their bill, check their usage, or report an outage. Members also have access to a portal online at www.flintenergies.com where all services from the dial-in phone or the phone app are available to them 24 hours per day, according to Autry.

“Text services are also available, including paying bills, by texting the word “Join” to 352667,” said Autry.

Autry noted that members will hear a recording about the new phone options, and they will also notice that the new 24 hour automation is a male voice instead of the female voice which has been heard since 1999.

The phone number for reporting outages has not changed and will remain 888-354-6836. That system works much faster and is more accurate when the member’s phone number is listed in their Flint Energies account, said Autry.