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January 2012
Communication Is the Key to Large Business Customer Satisfaction
Happy New Year! To get you started on the right path to improving your large business customer satisfaction scores, we’re pleased to provide you with insights from the 2011 E Source Gap and Priority Benchmark survey.
We analyzed input from more than 1,400 large business customers of 22 North American electricity and gas utilities to determine how well the industry as a whole is serving its large business customers. We’ve identified several steps utilities and account representatives can take to better meet these important customers’ needs. We found, unsurprisingly, that communication is key! Communicating with large business customers “when appropriate” is one of the biggest drivers of customer satisfaction. Satisfaction is also heavily influenced by meeting in person with the customer the number of times the customer desires.
The survey also reveals the “gap” between importance and performance of 24 attributes corresponding to different facets of the customer experience. Attributes with the largest gap indicate areas where the utility or account rep has an opportunity to improve. We found:
• “Effectively communicates during energy emergencies” is the account rep attribute with the largest gap between importance and performance.
• The two most important attributes for account representatives are “Is trustworthy” and “Follows through on his/her commitments.”
• The utility attribute with the largest gap between importance and performance is “Works to keep energy prices down,” suggesting that utilities could be doing a better job of communicating with their customers about prices, as well as managing their expectations.
• “Provides reliable energy” and “Effectively communicates during energy emergencies” are the two most important utility attributes.
Check out the full report for more insights: Gap and Priority Benchmark 2011: A Survey of Utility Large Business Customers by Kim Burke and Alan Seltzer (BMS, BAM).
All participating utilities have already received an individualized report summarizing the findings for their utility and detailing each customer response. E Source conducts the large business gap and priority benchmark annually in late spring, and we’ll also be conducting a midsize business gap and priority benchmark for the first time in 2012. If you’re interested in participating in these national benchmark surveys, please contact Mike Hildebrand.
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