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(remove) Service line: Experience & Communications Management Service (remove) Results
Identifying and Improving Key Moments of Truth
March 30, 2012
Identifying and improving key moments of truth is an important component of customer experience management that can have positive impacts financially as well as on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Gain insights in this area from Duke Energy and a transportation and business services company.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: ECM-RB-1 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger
Utility Customer Experience Leaders: A Conversation with TEP’s Steve Lynn
March 30, 2012
To understand a chief customer officer’s role in a utility’s customer experience, we spoke with Tucson Electric Power’s Steve Lynn. He reported to the executive vice president of the company, which allowed him to advocate the customer perspective in internal discussions.
Content type: Interview | Document ID: ECM-INT-3-12-Lynn | Author: Justin Rickard
To Have or Have Not? A Review of Wireless Meter Opt-Out Policies
March 22, 2012
Consumers are demanding alternatives to wireless meters, and state regulatory commissions and energy providers are issuing policies that allow customers to opt out. It's likely that any utility deploying wireless meters will need an opt-out policy regardless of the size of the population projected to ...
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-14 | Author: Melanie Wemple
Communicating Natural Gas Safety
November 29, 2011
What taglines are utilities using to educate their customers about gas safety? Which communications channels are the most effective in getting this messaging out to customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-21 | Author: Rachel Cooper, Melanie Wemple
2011 E Source Utility Brand Strength Survey: Rankings and Drivers
November 14, 2011
To help utilities understand utility brand value drivers and to support the improvement of utility brand image and strength, E Source analyzed data from The Nielsen Company’s 2010 energy-use survey, conducted with more than 32,000 residential customers in the U.S.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: UCS-F-8 | Author: Rachel Cooper, Chuntian Lu, Dulcey Simpkins
The Basics of Customer Experience Management
October 19, 2011
Utilities understand that customers' expectations of service are growing, mostly due to their experiences with companies in other industries. To help identify the key methods of transforming the customer experience, we spoke with a few utilities that are focusing on this metric.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCC-RB-6 | Author: Justin Rickard
Smart Grid Choice and Control
An Enticing Proposition, but Can It Deliver?
October 11, 2011
Is "choice and control" really the best message we can deliver to customers regarding the benefits of smart meters and grid modernization?
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-7 | Author: Jonathan Nelson, Carol Stimmel
How to Measure the Value of a Conversation
July 14, 2011
How do we know if we're getting a return on our investment from our social media initiatives? Are there lessons to be learned from the experience of businesses outside the utility industry in determining whether social media is profitable?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-20 | Author: Carol Stimmel
Cooling Attitudes Toward Global Warming?
A Meta-Analysis of Survey Data
June 15, 2011
E Source conducted a meta-review of various surveys about global warming, finding that these attitudes are not cooling as much as reported in 2008 and 2009, segmentation is a critical variable, and utilities have opportunities to provide education customers want about climate change.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-13 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
The State of Utility Social Media
Results and Insights from Our 2011 Survey
May 4, 2011
E Source conducted its second national social media survey of utilities in early 2011 to find out more details about utility social media efforts.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: UCS-F-7 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Geek Speak Takes a Back Seat
PEV Messaging for Mass Markets
January 14, 2011
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are now arriving in showrooms across the U.S. How are utilities in early roll-out regions identifying early-adopters and communicating on critical issues? This brief addresses these questions with profiles of three utilities operating in PEV-ready regions.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-10 | Author: Bryan Jungers
Creating a Dialogue with Customers
December 15, 2010
Aside from social media and focus groups, what are some ways utilities can create an ongoing, face-to-face dialogue with customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-18 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Smart Meter Messaging Comes of Age
December 2, 2010
The messaging that utilities use to educate customers, address questions and concerns, and manage expectations about smart meters influences the overall success of the system deployment. We examine the key messages that utilities are using to effectively convey information about smart meters.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-9 | Author: Kim Burke
Energy Savings, Jobs, and Environmental Stewardship
The Benefits of Funding Energy Efficiency
October 29, 2010
We want to inform our customers of the value they receive in their community by funding energy efficiency through their electricity or gas rates. What are some talking points?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-16 | Author: Melanie Wemple
Smart Channels for Communicating Smart Grid to Consumers
October 29, 2010
Communicating about smart grid and smart meters isn’t just about the message—but if the customer doesn’t see the message, it is the equivalent of not having one. We examine the channels that utilities have found successful for communicating smart meters and smart grid to their customers.
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Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-5 | Author: Florence Connally
Using Social Media to Communicate About Rate Cases
Avista’s Wake-up Call and Recovery
July 27, 2010
Following a 2009 rate increase, Avista Utilities faced negative media attention and customer backlash. Unwanted attention prompted Avista to launch a proactive social media communications strategy, and a new approach for an increase in 2010 has yielded positive press and support from the community.
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Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-11 | Author: Kim Knox
Nashville Under Water
Crisis Communications During a Flood
July 23, 2010
In the spring of 2010, Nashville, Tennessee was hit with a powerful storm that flooded the city and created widespread electricity outages. Laurie Parker of Nashville Electric Service (NES) shares with us how social media helped NES communicate to customers and the media during the crisis.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-12 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Energy Price Guidance
An Innovative Price Communication Strategy
July 16, 2010
Are there any new and innovative ways that utilities are communicating with their customers about rate cases?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-17 | Author: Maggie Boys
Social Media Policies
June 8, 2010
Do many utilities have social media policies? Can you provide some guidance on what to include in ours?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-14 | Author: Kim Knox
Got Energy?
A Snapshot of 100 Utility Brands
May 19, 2010
We provide an analysis of 100 utility web sites, focusing on themes, tag lines, color, and other brand elements found online.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-8 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting and Communication
April 2, 2010
How are utilities reporting and communicating to the public about their corporate social responsibility efforts?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-12 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
The State of Social Media Marketing
March 31, 2010
Corporate use of social media took off in 2009. But although its popularity has grown over the past year, there are still many questions surrounding social media and its benefits for utilities. We answer your most pressing questions based on our analysis of a large social media marketing study.
Content type: Best Practice | Document ID: UCS-BP-7 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Layoff Communications
February 18, 2010
How are companies handling internal communication regarding layoffs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-11 | Author: Florence Connally
A Quick Comparison of Survey Methods for Residential Customers
December 22, 2009
What techniques do utilities use to survey customers on such topics as corporate reputation and brand awareness?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-13 | Author: Sarah Weldon and Matthew Joyce
Internal Pandemic Communications
December 16, 2009
How should utilities communicate with employees about pandemics?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-9 | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Matthew Burks
Communicating with Customers About Payment Assistance Programs
Entergy's Outreach Efforts
December 10, 2009
Entergy faces a particularly daunting challenge: More than 25 percent of its residential customers qualify for hardship assistance. Because providing assistance information is critical, the utility uses a blend of traditional and nontraditional outreach efforts to communicate with its customers.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-6 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Communicating Energy Prices to Your Large Industrial Customers
November 24, 2009
What are some effective ways to provide energy price communications to large industrial customers? Do you have any examples of how price communications have positively influenced customer satisfaction?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BCO-AskES-5 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
How to Measure Your Advertising Efforts
November 2, 2009
How do utilities measure the effectiveness of their advertising?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-8 | Author: Matthew Joyce
Building and Selling a Social Media Strategy
How Avista Utilities Tamed the Wild West of Online Communications
October 23, 2009
Social media presents daunting internal and external challenges for utilities. Dan Kolbet, social media communications manager for Avista Utilities, shares insights on why and what he did to push social media into a primetime communications channel at Avista and what results he’s seen so far.
Content type: Best Practice | Document ID: UCS-BP-5 | Author: Matthew Burks
Planned Outage Communications
October 12, 2009
How do utilities communicate planned outages to their customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-10 | Author: Stephanie Cary
