Since Monday, 7 May - after around 15 months of renovation work - the completely redesigned Stadtwerke Giessen customer centre on Giessen's market square has been open again. At the official opening ceremony on Thursday, 10 May, Gesine Schmidt from the architectural firm Schmidt/Weismüller symbolically handed over the key to SWG board member Manfred Siekmann. "I am delighted that the plans for a modern customer centre have now become reality," explained the architect. Manfred Siekmann thanked everyone involved in the project for their hard work and promised: "We will now be able to offer energy and local transport services under one roof in the heart of Giessen again."
SWG board member Reinhard Paul then explained what makes the customer centre an example of an energy-efficient building. During a guided tour, all the guests at the opening ceremony - including all the companies involved in the project and the SWG Supervisory Board - were able to see the newly designed premises for themselves.
More space for customer advice
The aim of the remodelling was to be able to better serve the customers of Stadtwerke. To this end, the existing building was extended by an entire floor and now offers significantly more space for service and advice. All areas are now barrier-free, making them easily accessible with a wheelchair or pushchair. The completely new main entrance is accessed from the "Mäusburg", i.e. it is located to the left of the entrance to the former SWG info centre. In the bright stairwell of the new building, clear signposting shows the way. This is a good thing, because the conversion has also changed the layout of the individual areas in the customer centre: The mobility centre now occupies the entire ground floor and no longer has to share space with SWG customer service. Staff are available at a total of three counters to provide passengers with help and advice on local transport and season tickets.
The first floor is all about energy: SWG customers who want to register, de-register or re-register, have a question about their bill or need information about electricity, natural gas, heating or water will find the right people to talk to here.
The local transport management offices are located on the second floor. However, most customers are unlikely to have much contact with this department. This is because the job of the local transport specialists is to organise the smooth running of Giessen's local transport system in the background.
On the third and thus completely new floor of the building is the energy advice centre of the municipal utilities, which has been in increasing demand in recent years and provides all SWG customers with competent support, particularly on the topics of energy efficiency and energy saving. Qualified employees provide comprehensive and unbureaucratic advice. If you want to know how to get by with less energy in everyday life, what the advantages of switching to district heating are, how to trim your heating system for low consumption or have other questions about economical and sensible energy use, you've come to the right place. Examples include the municipal utility's heating check, a thermographic examination or a so-called blower door test. Customers of Stadtwerke Gießen can also borrow electricity meters for their households free of charge.
Expansion urgently needed
"We have simply reached the limits of SWG's old infoCentre," says Michael Rösner, Head of Private and Commercial Customer Sales at SWG, explaining the reasons for the redesign of the building. With 50,000 customer contacts a year in the mobility centre alone and just as many again in the "Information and Service" area, the counters on the former ground floor had become cramped time and again, according to Michael Rösner. SWG did not want to put its customers or employees through this any longer. Ample space and plenty of natural light have now created a completely different image.
"Good sound insulation was also particularly important to us," explains Anne-Müller Kreutz, Head of Local Transport Management at SWG. "Only when the noise level is low can employees and customers interact with each other in a stress-free and focussed manner." Sound-absorbing equipment in the rooms, from the flooring to special ceiling elements, now ensures that pleasant communication with the relevant contact person is possible even when there is a large crowd.
In the energy customer service area, SWG has installed a customer call system to better control the flow of visitors: Directly after entering the floor, you now draw a number tag and then wait briefly until the next service employee is free. A large display indicates whose turn it is at the moment. This makes it easy to estimate waiting times.
The energy advice centre is also breaking new ground: in addition to the information walls with changing exhibitions on the third floor, SWG has now set up a very special permanent exhibition in the basement. Here, future homeowners can see for themselves how the various house connections for energy and water are installed, how a compact transfer station for district heating works or what floor space a modern condensing boiler requires.
State-of-the-art energy efficiency
"We gave a lot of thought to the energy efficiency of the building during the conversion," explains Reinhard Paul. "We wanted to create a kind of showpiece for the corresponding energy-saving measures and thus show our colours when it comes to efficiency." A so-called full thermal insulation and state-of-the-art double-glazed windows now make the renovated building a real energy-saving house. Despite the good insulation, the customer centre naturally requires a certain amount of heat. This comes directly from the SWG district heating network and not only ensures pleasant temperatures in winter, but also in summer: an adsorption chiller masters the trick of turning heat into cold, using the district heating generated by the municipal utilities in Giessen itself, which is favourable for the climate.
"To a certain extent, this new customer centre is of course also a statement," explains SWG board member Siekmann. "We are saying that we, as the municipal utility company, provide more than just the bill. We not only supply energy, but also information, advice and services." According to Siekmann, all of this distinguishes municipal utilities like Giessen from pure online providers or large corporations. "We are convinced that every customer needs a place with people they can turn to with their questions. That's why this completely new customer centre is also an important investment in the future for us."
More information on the campaign day
Anyone who would like to find out more about the new premises and the renovation on site will have the opportunity to do so during a campaign day on 26 May at the SWG customer centre. Stadtwerke Gießen invites all interested parties to attend.
Opening hours
SWG Customer Centre, Marktplatz 15, Giessen Opening hours from Monday, 7 May 2012:
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Saturday 9 am to 2 pm
14.05.2012