Customer Communications: Insights and Opportunities. June 23, 2016

Transcription

1 Customer Communications: Insights and Opportunities June 23, 2016

2 Our mission Provide unbiased, actionable quantitative and qualitative research to the utility industry Fast Facts 23 years helping utilities improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency 10 of the 10 largest electric and natural gas companies are members 37 utilities participate in Chartwell s Research Councils

3 Our utility members

4 Our focus Opportunities Challenges Goals Strategies Programs Services Innovations Successes Lessons Save Time Improve Satisfaction Increase Engagement Save Money

5 What are your greatest challenges?

6 Challenges: Utility communications Value Rate increases New energy options Digital strategies Fragmented media Personalized messages Segmentation Mobile-first Resources Renewables Technology Metrics

7 Chartwell insights Utilities recognize that customers want more in terms clear, two-way communications on outages, energy usage and billing issues Yet, many utilities lack the complete, integrated view of each customer needed to deliver on those expectations Customer communication remains a critical component for improving customer experience

8 ERT is King Priority Information Top 2 Box response Restoration estimate 58% 70% Cause Crew status Geographic area affected Time the outage began Total customers witout power 12% 12% 20% 25% 30% 31% 29% 34% 38% 41% All customers Source: Chartwell 2015 Residential Consumer Survey (n=1,502)

9 More than half of your customers expect an ERT within 15 minutes of reporting an outage 61% 36% 25% 20% 16% 4% Immediately Within 15 mins Within 30 mins Within 1 hour > 1 hour Source: Chartwell 2015 Residential Consumer Survey (n=1,502)

10 Consumers say they want more energy information (Top 2 box response) EV Solar Smartphone control In-home display Smart thermostat Smart appliances Usage information on web Monitoring usage more closely Usage information on bill 22% 37% 49% 60% 62% 66% 67% 67% 77% Source: Chartwell s 2015 Residential Consumer Survey, n = 1,502

11 More utilities are providing proactive outage alerts to customers 45% 75% Sources: Chartwell s 2014 Outage Communications Industry Survey (n=52) & 2015 Outage Communications Industry Survey (n=47)

12 but digital bill alert offerings still minimal 89% 44% Text 42% Phone 33% Web Alert 16% Mobile Alert Chartwell's 2015 Credit and Collections Survey, n=45

13 What s your mobile-first strategy? Top 2 box interest in channel preference for receiving info/updates from utility 2011/2014/ % 54.2% 50.6% +12.6pp 39.9% 32.8% +12.5pp 36.5% 34.3% +8.9pp 27.3% 24.0% 26.8% 25.2% 17.9% Website (PC) Website (mobile phone) Text Social Media

14 CX initiatives are under way at most utilities Yes, 81% No, and no plans, 4% Not yet, 15% but 61% are less than 3 years old! Source: 2016 Customer Experience Industry Survey, n=53

15 Verbatim: If you could choose one company you d like your utility to be more like, which would it be? And why? Source: Chartwell s 2015 Residential Consumer Survey, n = 1,502

16 How utilities stack up 2015: Satisfaction with your utility compared to... Cable Insurance Shipping Mobile provider Bank Online retail 17.2% 20.2% 20.7% 23.8% 24.5% 31.2% 29.0% 21.9% 20.0% 25.4% 20.1% 16.8% Less satisfied with utility About the same More satisfied with utility

17 Satisfaction sweet spots Top 2 box response: "How satisfied are you with your utility's performance on the following" (n=1502) Reliability Understand my bill Payment Methods Overall Satisfaction Customer Service Ease of Doing Business Communication w/customers Billing Options/Programs Corporate Image Renewable resources Price/cost Community Involvement 48.8% 45.4% 43.1% 42.5% 75.0% 73.8% 72.5% 70.6% 67.9% 67.5% 60.7% 59.2% Source: Chartwell s 2015 Residential Consumer Survey

18 Utility messaging focuses on reliability and safety Reliability 36% Safety 34% Value 11% Trusted advisor 9% Easy to do business with 9% Source: Chartwell 2015 Marketing and Communications Industry Survey, n=56

19 Got brand? Less than half of utilities share a specific brand promise with customers No, 52.8% Yes, 47.2% Source: Chartwell 2015 Marketing and Communications Industry Survey, n=37

20 Avista s Customer Experience Intent Statement

21 Chartwell s Best Practices Duke unveils strategies to reduce customerfacing scams SRP boosts storytelling power with engaging blog posts Puget Sound Energy delivers news broadcast, live tweets

22 Chartwell s new Customer Communications Research Council Benefits Collaborative consulting Two custom research projects per year Monthly conference calls In-person meetings each spring and fall Conference registrations Peer network Direct access to Chartwell senior analysts

23 Thank You! Scott Johnson Vice President Tim Herrick Director, Sales and Member Services