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Topic: Customer Service

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Walk-in Payment Trends and Customer Demographics

March 19, 2010 | Updated: September 11, 2012

Are utilities keeping their in-person payment centers open or shutting them down? What are the customer demographics for people who pay in person?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-36 | Author: Sarah Weldon and Ethan Brown

Leveling the Paying Field, Part 2

Levelized Billing Programs for Business Customers

August 29, 2012

What are the standard characteristics of utility levelized billing programs for business customers, and how do utilities calculate monthly payments?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-54 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

Online Rate Communications: Best Practices and Messaging

July 19, 2012

What are best practices in rate communications? Can you provide examples of utilities that have effectively used the web and other electronic media to educate customers about the electric ratemaking process and pending rate cases?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: ECM-AskES-1 | Author: Stephanie Spalding

Text Messaging: Enhancing Your Mobile Channel Customer Experience

June 11, 2012

Why should utilities use text messaging to serve their customers? How are utilities using text messaging today and which utilities are using it?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: ECS-AskES-1 | Author: Justin Rickard

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

How Utilities Classify Key, Large, Midsize, and Small Business Customers

December 14, 2011

Why is it useful for utilities to designate business customers into size categories, and what criteria are used to make these distinctions?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BMS-AskES-3 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger

Update on Bill Design

August 1, 2008 | Updated: October 12, 2011

We are preparing to redesign our utility bill statement. Where can I find sample bills used by other utilities? Have you seen any new features for paper bills since the last E Source report on this subject?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: RES-AskES-3b | Author: Gwen Farnsworth

Staffing Ratios: Quality Assurance Analysts and Trainers to CSRs

May 19, 2011

How many quality assurance and training staff should we have supporting the customer service representatives in our utility contact center?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-48 | Author: Justin Rickard

Preparing for Surges in Call Volume

April 20, 2011

How do utilities prepare for call-volume surges in their contact centers?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-46 | Author: Maggie Boys, Sarah Fiebiger

The Gap and Priority Benchmark Study Winners' Circle: What Makes Them So Successful?

March 18, 2011

In the 2010 E Source Gap and Priority Benchmark survey, were there any common themes among the top-performing utilities that have contributed to their success?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BAM-AskES-1 | Author: Bryan Jungers

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

Verifying Outage Restoration with Outbound Messages

January 21, 2011

Can you offer some examples of outbound phone messages for outage verification?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-39 | Author: Maggie Boys

Designing Automated After-Call Surveys

December 8, 2010

What are the best practices for designing automated after-call surveys on a utility interactive voice response system (IVR)?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-45 | Author: Maggie Boys

Can Meter Replacement Affect Home Protection Systems?

November 29, 2010

We’ve recently had calls from customers who are concerned that their home protection systems will be affected when we exchange their old meter with a new one. Is there any basis for this concern?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-29 | Author: Essie Snell

Plugged In: Agent Availability, Utilization, and Schedule Adherence

November 8, 2010

Can you explain agent availability, utilization, and schedule adherence in the contact center? What level of utilization is considered best practice?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-37 | Author: Maggie Boys

Better "Make a Payment" Features

November 3, 2010

What is a good way to construct a self-service payment feature for the interactive voice response system (IVR)?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-5 | Author: Maggie Boys

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

Walmart’s Initiative on Greening the Supply Chain

October 25, 2010

I heard about Walmart’s sustainability efforts, and in particular the company’s sustainable product index. Will this affect other businesses?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BMS-AskES-9 | Author: Yuki Iida

Please Hold: Caring for Your Customers While They Wait

September 28, 2010

We are looking into the possibility of putting in some messaging for customers who are on hold in our interactive voice response system (IVR) or waiting to be transferred to a representative. What is appropriate messaging? Can you give specific examples?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-43 | Author: Maggie Boys

How Hardware- and Software-Based Prepaid Metering Differ

September 28, 2010

We are looking into offering a prepaid metering program and are trying to decide what type of system would be best. What are the differences between hardware and software solutions for this type of program?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-42 | Author: Sarah Weldon

Using Rewards and Recognition for Agent Retention

September 9, 2010

What part do reward and recognition programs play in retaining front-line employees? What are some best practices for these programs?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-15 | Author: Maggie Boys

Holding on to Your Contact Center Employees

August 18, 2010

What are the best practices for retaining contact center employees?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-13 | Author: Maggie Boys

10 Key Features for Successful Online Games

August 4, 2010

We are considering adding a game to our utility web site. What are the key features of successful online games?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EBiz-AskES-40 | Author: Sarah Weldon

Customer Preferences in Online Energy-Use Information

August 2, 2010

What features of online energy-use feedback information do residential customers like?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EBiz-AskES-37 | Author: Sarah Weldon

Leveling the Paying Field, Part 1

Levelized Billing Programs for Residential Customers

June 24, 2010

What are the standard characteristics of utility levelized billing programs, and how do utilities calculate monthly payments? How many utilities offer levelized billing programs, and what participation rates have been seen?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-38 | Author: Sarah Weldon

The Rural Large Business Opportunity: Use High Satisfaction with Account Reps to Drive Overall Satisfaction

June 23, 2010

Are there any differences in customer satisfaction ratings and attitudes between rural and urban large business customers?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BMS-AskES-11 | Author: Sarah Weldon and Ethan Brown

Customer Adoption of Utility Bill Payment Channels and Tender Types

May 13, 2010

What channels are utility customers using to pay their bills? And what types of payment are utilities receiving—check, credit cards, cash?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EBiz-AskES-39 | Author: Alexandra Behringer

Paradox and Opportunity: Rural and Urban Customer Satisfaction and Attitudes

May 13, 2010

Are there any differences in customer satisfaction ratings and customer attitudes between rural and urban customers, or between residential and commercial customers?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-40 | Author: Sarah Weldon and Ethan Brown

Hiring to Minimize Attrition

April 14, 2010

How can utilities minimize attrition when hiring call center agents?

Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-11 | Author: Maggie Boys