Just how much data do customers want when it comes to their energy usage? Chartwell council aims to find out April 7, 2011
Posted by Chartwell Inc. in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, customer communications, demand response, energy usage, online energy information, smart appliances, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service
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Paper or plastic? It was a common question heard every time one checked out at the grocery store of the ‘80s and ‘90s. There was a time when the brown paper bag was king. Then it became plastic, but lots of people – my mother, for example – didn’t like moving away from paper, hence the question was always posed by the grocery bagger.
This question, of course, was asked to ensure that customers had a good experience – even those resistant to change.
Then about 15 or so years ago, shoppers started hearing that question less and less. It was assumed by the grocery baggers that plastic was what most people wanted, and most people didn’t complain. Sure, you could still request a paper bag, but not many did. Now, there’s often not even a bagger present. In fact, you can check yourself out in many stores, and the only option is plastic – unless you’ve bought one of those environmentally friendly reusable bags.
Much the way customer service and programs in other industries evolve over time, utilities will see customer attitudes and perceptions evolve. (more…)
Information overload or golden opportunity? February 15, 2011
Posted by Allison Herdic in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, convenience, energy efficiency, energy usage, mobile, smart grid, Summits, utilities
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As new applications are buzzed about on a regular basis, mobile users can search the sea of options becoming more readily (and sometimes overwhelmingly) available.
Don’t get me wrong; I am an equal opportunity lover of a number of electronic products. From the Droid to the iPad, I frequently enjoy a wealth of information at my fingertips. The challenge is the information overload consumers face when trying to juggle all that is available. While all of the options may offer a major shot in the arm to the entertainment world and productivity on-the-go, a little caution must be exerted when designing applications for the mass market.
What does this mean for utilities? When searching for an application, a mobile user is likely asking him/herself prior to download: Is it fun? Is it useful? Or, is it going to enhance my day-to-day life in any way? The key is how the industry evaluates and answers these questions now and going forward.
More utilities are considering or creating mobile applications for bill payment, a definite step in the direction of making customers’ lives simpler. There is also chatter about making smart grid data available in application format, as more utilities move to smart meters in an effort to create heighted awareness about energy usage.
But, will energy usage information alone be enough to get customers excited? Currently, applications are available for download that allow customers to control their home lighting, thermostat and/or security systems via mobile device using Wi-Fi or a 3G network. This can certainly bolster energy efficiency efforts and create awareness about how often and how long lights are used within the home. But some tech-savvy enthusiast may desire such a feature simply for the convenience and ‘cool’ factor.
When designing a proprietary application, utilities have the challenge and opportunity of creating applications that will grab customers’ attention and make their lives a little easier. An assessment of different consumer types could be beneficial, as utilities should evaluate customers that will likely be early adopters and contrast to those that may never be interested whatsoever. In the process, careful consideration of the other available features already on the market may also offer greater results post-launch.
I look forward to hearing conversations on these questions and more at Chartwell’s upcoming Summits on Web and Mobile Customer Interaction and Smart Grid Customer Education in Phoenix, April 28-29. With a conglomerate of some of the industry’s foremost thought-leaders on these topics, I expect the future of mobile applications and energy information dissemination will be conferred about continuously over the two days.
In the meantime, I’ll be interested to hear about what’s new in the mobile space from the utility and other industries. Despite the information overload, the fun and convenience this new technological world offer are just too tempting to for me and many others to ignore. At least, for now…
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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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:
Utilities increasingly the target of scammers November 15, 2010
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: customer service, energy usage, scam, utilities, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service
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Scammers and thieves are increasingly targeting utilities and their customers across North America, from BC Hydro in Vancouver to Progress Energy Florida, by selling cheap energy efficiency products or posing as utility employees.
FarmVille, Weight Watchers, Xbox…utilities? October 29, 2010
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: billing and payment, customer service, EMACS, energy efficiency, energy usage, FarmVille, gaming mechanics, Google PowerMeter, online energy information, smart grid, utilities, utility customer engagement, utility marketing, Web-based customer service
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What do FarmVille, Weight Watchers, Xbox 360 and utilities have in common? Not very much. But that will change.
To understand why futurist Garry Golden referenced FarmVille and Weight Watchers during his keynote address in front of a standing-room-only crowd of utility professionals this week in San Diego at Chartwell’s EMACS 2010 – The Customer Experience Conference, you must first understand the concept of gaming mechanics.
Coming soon to your grid: plug-in electric vehicles July 30, 2010
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: charging stations, electric vehicle, energy efficiency, energy usage, gasoline, plug-in electric vehicle, rates, smart appliances, smart grid, smart meter, utilities
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CODA Automotive announced the gasoline pump’s demise at a Santa Monica gas station last month. (I thought it at least deserved a montage on CNN.) Clever advertising? Sure. Accurate? Actually, the date of death on that headstone is closer than you think.
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, unveiling the Big Apple’s first electric car charging station on July 14, said the electric vehicle “is not just a pipe dream or a scene from ‘The Jetsons.’ It is here and it is here right now.” (more…)
It’s simple: Privacy policies should alleviate smart grid concerns June 23, 2010
Posted by Chartwell Inc. in Utility Industry News.Tags: energy usage, meter data, privacy, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility communications, utility customer service, utility marketing
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Okay, there’s been a lot of talk lately about smart grid-related privacy concerns. In a May 18 Denver Post article, the guy charged with studying the issue for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission went so far as to call the smart grid a “technology that can pierce the blinds.” http://bit.ly/b1Kojq
Pierce the blinds? Really? With comments like that and similar sentiments bandied about, you would think the new smart meter was a revolving video recorder, a robotic device creeping around catching your every move, from how many fat grams you eat and what television shows you watch to how long you shower and what you do in the bedroom. Add smart appliances and thermostats to the mix and you’ve got Big Brother climbing right up your … well, you get the picture.
Okay, once smart grid becomes a reality (more…)
Dynamic pricing pilots: Customer acquisition a bigger, more costly challenge than expected June 17, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Quay Allen in Utility Industry News.Tags: demand response, dynamic pricing, energy usage, rates, smart grid, utilities, utility communications, utility customer engagement
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Customer engagement – meeting customers on their terms, with DSM programs that fulfill their needs – was a big topic of conversation at the EEI Annual Convention in Ft. Lauderdale this week. But, “utility-customer engagement” is not the only new concept. So is “customer-utility engagement.”
“We spent 100 years trying to make customers give us as little attention as possible; we can’t expect to turn that around in a year,” Commonwealth Edison Vice President Val Jensen told a standing-room-only crowd in a Critical Issues session. The fact is, customers have become as good at ignoring their utilities as utilities at ignoring their customers. Just because utilities are ready and willing to try harder doesn’t mean customers are there quite yet. (more…)
