The challenge with electric vehicles, like the smart grid, is customer communication July 28, 2011
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: charging stations, customer communications, customer service, electric vehicles, Plug-In 2011, plug-in electric vehicle, utility communications, utility customer engagement, vehicle-to-grid
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The first Plug-In conference, according to those who attended the 2008 show in San Jose, more closely resembled a science fair than an electric vehicle showcase. Several companies unveiled projects and prototypes. People shared really cool ideas. One of the sessions was called, “Progression Toward EVs.”
Home energy management and customer engagement: Sprinters should avoid this marathon July 12, 2011
Posted by Scott Johnson in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, customer service, energy conservation, energy usage, Google PowerMeter, market research, meter data, online energy information, smart grid, smart meter, utility customer engagement
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Google and Microsoft’s low-key exit from the home energy management market after just two years underscores what many electric utilities are learning and Chartwell research shows – convincing large numbers of consumers to pay more attention to their energy use and act on that information will be a long, uphill journey. (more…)
Opting out of a smart meter should be a choice — at a cost March 22, 2011
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer service, marketing, privacy, security, smart meter, utilities, utility communications, utility customer service
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Evidence-based marketing is not working for the anti-smart meter crowd in northern California and Maine. And that’s why the utilities serving those areas should – and are, in some cases – let those customers opt out of receiving smart meters. Add the cost of manually reading the meters (“truck rolls”) and maintaining the old meters to the bill, sure, but let them opt out.
Smart grid will likely change utility job descriptions, from the bottom up March 16, 2011
Posted by Doris Yon in Uncategorized.Tags: call center, contact center, customer service, smart grid, utility customer service
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No one will debate the importance of a contact center agent in a utility’s customer service strategy. As front-line employees, customer service representatives can, and oftentimes do, shape customers’ opinions about the utility depending on the level of service provided. And, whether ideal or not, most customers still pick up the telephone to reach out to their energy providers.
But the job as a customer service representative (CSR) is far from glamorous. In fact, many consider a CSR as an entry-level position. It’s tough, thankless work, and in many conversations with utility officials I’ll often hear how agents are excited about the opportunities existing outside of the contact center. In other words, “after I’ve paid my dues here, I’m sure I’ll get promoted to a position I really want.” Additionally, educational background may not be a high priority, as CareerBuilder.com lists CSR as one of the 20 jobs you can get with a high school diploma.
This line of thinking may have worked in the past, or even up to now. But utilities may not be able to afford to keep things status quo.
Takeaways from Chartwell’s Utility Market Research Summit March 2, 2011
Posted by Jennifer Quay Allen in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer satisfaction, customer service, market research, marketing, utilities, Utility Market Research Summit
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“That which gets measured gets improved.”
We in the business world hear this a lot; it’s a philosophy that comes out of W. Edwards Deming’s theories around process improvement and his adaptation of statistical process control as pioneered by Walter A. Shewhart. This is the stuff I cut my teeth on in the business world; I authored a monthly newsletter called CQI/TQM for years. (The first person who can tell me in the comments section what those acronyms stand for wins a prize.) The theories around consistently measuring outputs to continuously improve processes (and all the alphabet-soup acronyms that went along with that) were hotter-than-hot—even n in the utility world.
As with all things “hot,” it eventually cooled within management circles. But not with me. Just ask my coworkers how many times a week I mention “process improvement.” Note: You will need to duck as they throw the nearest solid object.
Thankfully, because the theories are still quite useful and valid, data-based process improvement has not cooled among utility market researchers either. Chartwell held its annual Utility Market Research Summit in Atlanta last week; it was a gathering of about 40 of us who get goose bumps over data and have absolute heart palpitations when that data is used—you guessed it—to make things BETTER. There were several gems coming out of the Summit that I am still aglow over: (more…)
Five takeaways from DistribuTECH February 8, 2011
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer service, demand response, DistribuTECH, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, energy usage, market research, online energy information, privacy, security, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service, utility marketing
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The Oracle cars and Elster bike cabs crossing paths in front of the San Diego Convention Center confirmed the hype surrounding DistribuTECH 2011 last week… and that people were tired of walking. I took a break from traversing the USS Midway of San Diego exhibit halls to identify five trends from the show:
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More utilities recognizing the value of usability with their websites February 2, 2011
Posted by Doris Yon in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer self service, customer service, Customer service automation, utilities, Web-based customer service, Web-based transactions
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There are two characteristics that will most certainly discourage me from interacting with a company on its website – an antiquated look and/or a complicated layout. When a website has an “old” feel it is apparent the company does not want to invest any resources into its online offerings. So I’m likely to return the favor. Also, I don’t want to spend 10 minutes looking for what I need, let alone all day. If I’m looking for help, I want to get my answer within a few clicks.
It’s hardly a secret that utilities want to encourage their customers to adopt online self-service options. If nothing else, channeling customers away from the contact center already yields a win for utilities, but the million-dollar question is how to guide more customers to performing transactions online. (more…)
Weathering the storm: Social media, mobile sites help utilities improve customer contact January 19, 2011
Posted by Scott Johnson in Utility Industry News.Tags: cell phones, Chartwell, customer self service, customer service, mobile apps, mobile communications, utilities, utility communications, utility customer service, utility market research, Web-based customer service
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Last week’s “snowmageddon” across much of the eastern United States provides fresh evidence that more electric utilities are turning to mobile channels and social media to keep customers informed during power outages and similar emergencies, a trend highlighted in recent Chartwell research. (more…)
Not just another year-end countdown – the top Chartwell member requests for 2010 December 23, 2010
Posted by Chartwell Inc. in Utility Industry News.Tags: billing and payment, call center, contact center, customer self service, customer service, Customer service automation, demand response, energy efficiency, energy usage, Nashville Electric Service, online energy information, smart grid, smart meter, utility communications, utility market research, Web-based customer service
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Being a music aficionado, I have always enjoyed the year-end countdowns hosted by the likes of Dick Clark, Casey Kasem, Rick Dees and more recently Ryan Seacrest. Okay, I don’t actually listen to countdowns anymore and I only assume Seacrest does one, as my age has me disliking most of the modern music out there, instead preferring my “adult alternative” programming and the popular music of my youth.
Still, countdowns, Top 40s and Pick 5s are fun, and I confess I still enjoy them. They also provide a window into the trends and styles of the day. Things in the utility industry aren’t as fashionable as the music business, but we do indeed see trends come and go. In the 1990s it was automated meter reading (AMR); music business parallel: grunge. Today, it is smart meters; music biz parallel: hip hop, unless it’s been replaced by something I’m too old to know about. There are also styles and genres that are evergreen – blues, R&B, rock. In the utility industry, things like billing, customer contact and outage management come to mind.
So, if we draw up an issues-oriented, Top-10-or-so list for the utility industry, what would it look like? (more…)
Big electric vehicle ideas aren’t just limited to the West Coast December 10, 2010
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer service, Customer service automation, electric vehicle, energy usage, gasoline, plug-in electric vehicle, rates, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility customer engagement, utility customer service, utility marketing
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – California utilities aren’t the only ones playing a major role in the deployment of electric vehicles. That observation was inescapable after leaders from TVA, DTE Energy, FPL, Duke Energy and Southern Company convened for a panel I moderated at the NAATBatt annual conference this week in Louisville. From Michigan to Florida, and North Carolina to Mississippi, utility leaders are contributing to electric vehicle discussion and education.
Let’s hit the highlights:
