MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Santee Cooper announced Monday that it will be closing three Grand Strand area retail stores in 2018.
According to a press release from the company, the Garden City, North Myrtle Beach and Conway Customer Service Retail Offices are set to close this year as part of the effort to make cost-effective decisions for customers and to offer more options where most customers do business – online.
The Garden City office will close April 27, North Myrtle Beach will close June 1 and Conway is scheduled to close June 29.
“We work to continuously improve the way we do business in order to provide reliable and affordable service for our customers,” said Mike Poston, vice president of Santee Cooper’s retail operations. “We believe this cost-saving effort is the right decision for our customers and the bank partnerships will provide more options and a more cost-effective way to meet our customers’ needs.”
Once the offices close, customers will be able to pay their Santee Cooper bills in person at several banks in their respective areas, as well as at any Western Union agent. These banks include all Anderson Brothers Banks in Horry and Georgetown County, all Coastal Carolina National Banks in Horry County, two Palmetto Heritage Banks in Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet, and one Conway National Bank located in Pawleys Island.
Santee Cooper spokesperson Susan Mungo said the power company will also enhance its website, and is currently developing an app that customers will be able to use to pay bills, and receive customer support. “Over 50% of our customers pay electronically, and that’s trending up,” Mungo said. “It will offer more opportunities to pay in ways they’re telling us they want to pay.”
Mungo said the company’s recent withdrawal from two nuclear power projects near Columbia did contribute to the decision to close down the three offices. “That is one of the factors for closing these offices. Overall, we are looking for ways to cut costs. We have had to look at that a little bit harder because of our nuclear, but cutting costs and keeping our customers’ cost low is something we are always looking to do,” she said.
Santee Cooper will not lay off any employees at the three locations it will shut down, according to Mungo. The company will re-assign those employees to other Santee Cooper sites in the area. “If they are working locally, they will still be here working locally.”
