Will evolving banking industry standards be a game-changer for utilities? August 31, 2011
Posted by Chris Brennaman in Utility Industry News.Tags: banking, billing and payment, Chartwell, convenience, customer service, debit card, fees, utility
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There is some debate over which bank issued the first debit card in the United States depending on what website you see – some sources say the Bank of Delaware, while others say First National Bank of Seattle. Regardless of who did it first, almost every bank now offers the service. And for years, utility customers have been using the cards to pay their bills … but could this form of convenience be coming to an end?
Earlier in August, Wells Fargo announced it was joining a group of other financial institutions that would begin testing the waters of charging monthly debit card fees. It is still too early to tell exactly how customers will ultimately react to being charged a convenience fee for swiping their plastic, but an Associated Press story reported a poll taken earlier this summer “found that about two-thirds of consumers use debit cards more frequently than credit cards. When asked how they would react if they were charged a $3 monthly fee for their debit card, 61 percent said they’d find another way to pay.” The reaction is to be expected in this economic recession as families look for ways to cut unnecessary expenses. (more…)
DR action plan packs plenty of marketing punch August 25, 2011
Posted by Stacey Bailey in Uncategorized.Tags: Chartwell, communication umbrella, customer engagement, demand response, DR, EE, energy, energy effiiciency, engagement, FERC, national action plan, National Action Plan Coalition, smart grid, utility
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If the National Action Plan Coalition’s Communications Umbrella Action Guide – Part 1 hasn’t made it to the top of your summer reading list yet, I highly recommend it. While I’ll admit Kathryn Stockett’s The Help may be more of a page-turner, the Action Plan packs some great energy efficiency and demand response customer engagement insights, segmentation strategies and targeted messaging into a mere 29 slides.
What do utilities have in common with Nordstrom? August 5, 2011
Posted by Chartwell Inc. in Utility Industry News.Tags: billing and payment, call center, Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, contact center, customer experience, customer service, Customer service automation, EMACS, EMACS - The Customer Experience Conference, utilities, utility, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service, utility marketing
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I moderate a panel of executives from leading utilities each year at EMACS – The Customer Experience Conference http://bit.ly/hU7eX. One year, a member of the audience – a customer experience consultant as I recall – asked the panelists: “What is it you really want to be – the best utility, or the best overall?” It seemed she had become exasperated with some of the discussion among the executives about the challenges they face around regulation, cost containment, customer engagement, etc. and so forth.
It was an intriguing question that brought into perspective the challenges faced by utilities that are not known in other industries. (more…)
The evolution of auto puts utilities in the driver’s seat June 29, 2011
Posted by Allison Herdic in Utility Industry News.Tags: charging station, Chartwell, customer, demand, electric vehicles, energy, off-peak rates, research, satisfaction, smart grid, stakeholder communication, Summit, TOU, utility
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While the buzz around electric vehicles (EVs) continues to gain momentum – all while gas prices continue to place increasing pressure on consumers’ wallets – more and more drivers are looking to ditch the pump and flip the switch. As this evolution occurs, the impact for utilities and the grid overall is continually under evaluation.
Automakers, charging station infrastructure installers, inspectors and local governments are all key players once an EV is purchased. However, the utility may be the first post-purchase point of contact and eager customers will expect quality information. But, who at the utility will take these calls and where on the website (or even mobile app) will key EV information be found?
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Can we learn anything about customer engagement from the Caveman and Flo? June 2, 2011
Posted by Stacey Bailey in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, customer engagement, customer loyalty, customer programs, customer satisfaction, energy efficiency, market research, utility
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After a few years in banking followed by 15 years in the insurance industry – apparently I am a regulation junkie – I joined Chartwell a few weeks ago and am thoroughly enjoying learning loads of new industry acronyms. I have already found some key similarities between the utility and insurance industries:
1) An EF4 tornado provides a wealth of customer satisfaction “data.”
2) Response time is a big deal.
3) Customer loyalty is critical.
In the über-competitive world of insurance, pitchmen like the GEICO Caveman and Progressive’s “Flo” are so recognizable that they have become popular Halloween costumes. A company’s product or price advantage can be knocked off by a competitor in a matter of months. Because of this, many insurance companies have shifted their focus away from the traditional transaction-based customer satisfaction measures. These are obviously still important, but companies are now focused on finding ways to add value for the customer in order to create true loyalty, not just transactional satisfaction. (more…)
