Fiscal health and customer satisfaction are the dominant performance indicators for public utility companies. However, customers view some fiscal policies that may be positive for a utility's fiscal health, such as securing deposits, as negative in relation to their satisfaction with the water utility.This book describes the impacts of credit and collections policies on revenues and customer satisfaction ratings at municipal utilities. Utility managers and financial officers will find much helpful information for formulating utility policies that will maximize both revenue and customer satisfaction.Table of Contents 1. Prioritizing Collections 2. Prioritizing Service 3. Inactive Timeline 4. Application for Service 5. Application Fees and Deposits 6. Certificates of Deposit 7. Credit Scoring 8. Credit Databases 9. Billing Frequency10. Multiple Active Timelines11. Bad Checks12. Payment Extensions and Arrangements13. Late Fees14. Automatic Phone Dialer Contacts15. Field Collections16. Disconnection/Shut-off17. Technologies for Disconnection/Reconnection18. Deconstructing Bad Debts19. In-house Versus Outsourcing Collections20. Collections Agency Request for Proposal21. Collections Contract Terms22. Bankruptcy Processing23. Sweep Accounts24. Selling Debts25. Tracking Accounts Receivable, Collections, and Write-offsAppendix A: 45 Credit and Collection PoliciesAppendix B: Collections Agency Request for Proposal