Resource Center

Welcome to the E Source Resource Center, which provides easy access to our comprehensive library of research, analysis, and tools.

Filters

Topic: Payment

(remove)

Results

The Latest Trends in Utility E-Business

May 23, 2012

Hear the results of the 2012 E Source E-Business Metrics Survey and compare your metrics to industry benchmarks. Learn what it means for utilities, discover how e-business metrics have changed over time, and discuss challenges and successes with your peers.

Content type: Web Conference | Document ID: ECS-WC-5-12-MetricsFindings | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

Top Utility E-Channel Trends 2012

March 22, 2012

Join us to discover the most exciting e-channel trends of the past six months and gain insights into the topics your peers are taking on. Our customer experience team will present the latest insight into providing personalized online content, mobile applications, social media, and more.

Play audio and video (streaming video)
Download presentation (PDF)

Content type: Web Conference | Document ID: EBiz-WC-3-12-TopTrends | Author: Florence Connally

Top Utility E-Channel Trends 2012

Slides

March 22, 2012

These are the web conference slides.

Content type: Slides | Document ID: EBiz-WC-3-12-TopTrends-SL | Author: Florence Connally

Top Utility E-Channel Trends 2012

Recording

March 22, 2012

This is the web conference recording.

Content type: Recording | Document ID: EBiz-WC-3-12-TopTrends-R | Author: Florence Connally

Pick a Date, Any Date

Insights into Utility Custom Due-Date Programs

March 21, 2012

I’m looking for information and best practices around customer-selected or “pick a due date” programs. What utilities offer these types of programs, how interested are customers, and what are the cash-flow implications?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-53 | Author: Stephanie Spalding

The Top Five Ways to Improve Utility Websites

March 1, 2012

What are the top recommendations for improving the utility website for residential consumers?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EBiz-AskES-46 | Author: Florence Connally

AMI-Enabled Prepaid Programs

February 14, 2012

February 2012 issue of the E Source Residential Market Service newsletter.

Content type: Service E-mail | Document ID: RES_SE_2-14-12

E Source E-Business Metrics Survey: 2012

Survey Definitions

February 8, 2012

This PDF contains the survey definitions for the E Source E-Business Metrics Survey: 2012. It provides further definitions and explanation for each metric listed in the Survey Instrument.

Content type: E Source Information | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

E Source E-Business Metrics Survey: 2012

Survey Instrument

February 8, 2012

This is the Survey Instrument for the E Source E-Business Metrics Survey: 2012. To participate, simply download this Excel file and fill it out. The survey looks at key e-business metrics and helps utilities compare the adoption of online services to other electric and gas companies.

Content type: E Source Information | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

E Source E-Business Metrics Survey: 2012

January 26, 2012

E Source is fielding the 2012 E-Business Metrics Survey. This survey will look at key e-business metrics and will help you compare the adoption of your online services to that of other electric and gas companies using the same standards.

Content type: About E Source Products & Services | Author: Florence Connally

Can Smart Meters Make Prepaid Work for You?

How AMI Breaks Down Barriers to Prepaid Programs

January 23, 2012

Prepaid metering with advanced metering infrastructure is a win-win situation: Customers get convenience and control and utilities get increased customer satisfaction and decreased collection costs. This report explores the prepaid programs of four U.S. utilities.

Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-12 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

Does Next-Day Mail Delivery Matter Anymore?

December 8, 2011

In this digital age of instant news, I'm sure you have already heard that snail mail is, well, getting even more snail-like. On Monday, the U.S. Postal Service sought approval to end next-day delivery of first-class mail. This change could take place as early as April 2012.

Content type: E Source Blog | Document ID: ES-Blog-12-8-11-Mail | Author: Florence Connally - Associate Research Director

Review of North American Electric and Gas Company IVRs: 2011

Task Findings

September 12, 2011

In this benchmark study, based on the review of 96 North American interactive voice response systems, we reveal key industry trends and guidance to improve your residential customer’s experience for 13 essential tasks. The best practices and things to avoid are also discussed for each task.

Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: UCC-BMK-IVR-11a-Tasks | Author: Florence Connally, Sarah Fiebiger

Review of North American Electric and Gas Company IVRs: 2011

September 12, 2011

Our 2011 industry benchmark comprehensively assesses 13 essential tasks on the interactive voice response systems (IVRs) of 96 North American gas and electric companies. We provide an overview of the current state of the industry, plus best practices and things to avoid when planning an IVR.

Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: UCC-BMK-IVR-11 | Author: Florence Connally, Sarah Fiebiger

Key Findings from the 2011 E-Business Metrics Survey

April 27, 2011

Join us to get a snapshot of the state of e-business in the utility industry. Learn results from our recent e-business metrics survey, trends in adoption of online services, and insights into and strategies for improving your company’s e-business activities.

Play audio and video (streaming video)
Download presentation (PDF)

Content type: Web Conference | Document ID: EBiz-WC-4-11-MetricsSurvey | Author: Florence Connally

Key Findings from the 2011 E-Business Metrics Survey

Slides

April 27, 2011

These are the web conference slides.

Content type: Slides | Document ID: EBiz-WC-4-11-MetricsSurvey-SL | Author: Florence Connally

Key Findings from the 2011 E-Business Metrics Survey

Recording

April 27, 2011

This is the web conference recording.

Content type: Recording | Document ID: EBiz-WC-4-11-MetricsSurvey-R | Author: Florence Connally

Top Trends in Utility Customer Care

April 7, 2011

Discover answers to the questions related to utility customer care we were asked most in 2010. Get the inside scoop on topics such as using social media for customer service, bill notifications, outage messages, prepaid metering, in-person payment centers, levelized billing, and more!

Play audio and video (streaming video)
Download presentation (PDF)

Content type: Web Conference | Document ID: UCC-WC-4-11-TopTrends | Author: Richard Goodwin, Sarah Fiebiger, Alexandra Behringer

Top Trends in Utility Customer Care

Slides

April 7, 2011

These are the web conference slides.

Content type: Slides | Document ID: UCC-WC-4-11-TopTrends-SL | Author: Richard Goodwin, Sarah Fiebiger, Alexandra Behringer

Top Trends in Utility Customer Care

Recording

April 7, 2011

This is the web conference recording.

Content type: Recording, Web Conference | Document ID: UCC-WC-4-11-TopTrends-R | Author: Richard Goodwin, Sarah Fiebiger, Alexandra Behringer

Credit Card Payment Options for Commercial Customers

April 4, 2011

Many utilities offer multiple payment options for residential customers, including the option to pay by credit or debit card, but what about business customers? Find out how many utilities have given their commercial customers this option, and what the parameters are.

Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EBiz-RB-12 | Author: Alexandra Behringer, Sarah Fiebiger

Credit and Collections in Canada

What I Learned in Montreal

March 22, 2011

I was in Montreal, Quebec, to speak about our research on creative low-income programs and the preliminary findings from the E Source IVR Review on payment-related tasks, but what I really found fascinating was hearing Canadian utilities discuss the challenges they've faced and how they're dealing ...

Content type: E Source Blog | Document ID: ES-Blog-3-22-11-Collections | Author: Sarah Fiebiger - Senior Research Associate

Summary Billing Programs

March 2, 2011

Which utilities have summary billing programs? How are those programs structured?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-47 | Author: Alexandra Behringer, Sarah Fiebiger

TXT 2 PAY 4 WTR

February 2, 2011

Text-to-pay service has arrived at utilities. If you don’t already have plans in the works to offer this ultra-convenient payment solution to your customers, I suggest you look into it.

Content type: E Source Blog | Document ID: ES-Blog-2-2-11-TXT | Author: Sarah Fiebiger - Research Associate

Effective Online "One-Time Payment" Features

December 22, 2010

One of the top reasons customers go to their utility’s web site is to pay their bill, so enabling customers to easily make a one-time online payment is critical. If this feature is poorly designed, it can adversely affect customer satisfaction and increase operational costs.

Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EBiz-RB-11 | Author: Alexandra Behringer

Increasing Online Registration: Case Studies from APS

December 8, 2010

Online self-service can’t happen unless customers first register for online access. Join us to learn how APS has used call center integration and marketing campaigns to increase its online account registration and enrollment in related offerings such as paperless billing and automatic payment.

Play audio and video (streaming video)
Download presentation (PDF)

Content type: Web Conference | Document ID: EBiz-WC-12-10-InnovOnlineReg | Author: Florence Connally

2010 Fantasy Utility Web Site

Best Practice Examples of Electric and Gas Utility Web Pages

June 24, 2010 | Updated: December 8, 2010

What sets good online features apart from the mediocre? Come see real examples of the features that rated highly in our 2009 Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Web Sites.

Content type: Fantasy Web Site | Document ID: EBiz-FantasyWebSite-10 | Author: Florence Connally

Increasing Online Registration: Case Studies from APS

Recording

December 8, 2010

This is the web conference recording.

Content type: Recording | Document ID: EBiz-WC-12-10-InnovOnlineReg-R | Author: Florence Connally

Increasing Online Registration: Case Studies from APS

Slides

December 8, 2010

These are the web conference slides.

Content type: Slides | Document ID: EBiz-WC-12-10-InnovOnlineReg-SL | Author: Florence Connally

Better "Make a Payment" Features