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Chartwell’s 2010 Best Practices Award for Outage Communications

Deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 10

Download the entry form >>

Award entries should highlight outage communications programs or initiatives in the areas of call center operations, customer contact, customer satisfaction improvement, customer service improvements in the field, internal and/or external communications, Web-based information delivery and services, and other related initiatives.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation and/or technology,
• Quality of the effort,
• Operational efficiency, and
• Measured results in customer satisfaction, efficiency gains or savings.

Vancouver-based BC Hydro won the inaugural 2008 award for its multi-faceted “Outage Communications Initiative,” launched in response to major outages that affected an estimated 800,000 customers during the 2006-07 winter storm season. Public Service of New Hampshire received the 2009 award for its pioneering use of social media in outage communications.

Award entries should include the following:

1. A completed entry form. (If an entry is submitted by a vendor or consultant, it must be with the utility’s permission and list a contact at the utility.) Click here to download the entry form.

2. A description of the project, program or effort (1,800 words maximum) detailing the following information as applicable:

• A history of the project/program or effort.
• Details about the effort including significant dates, major participants and target audience. (Note: Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2009 and July 2010.)
• Clearly stated goals and results of the project/program or effort, including how results were measured.
• The facts and features making the project innovative and/or unique.
• The reason it should win the Best Practices Award.

3. All components of a mixed media campaign, including printed pieces, audio/video files, DVDs, audio CDs, etc. Any visuals (Web pages, advertisements, direct mail pieces, letters, other collateral material) should be mounted on black foam core or matt board. The preferred medium for video is DVD and the only format accepted for audio is CD. (Only if applicable to entry)

SPONSORS

If you are a vendor and would like the opportunity to influence utility-professionals in an intimate setting, contact Kristy Dickens, Director of Business Development, at 404.237.9099 Ext. 25 or kdickens@chartwellinc.com.