Thursday, February 23, 2012
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM
Using Dedicated Research to Better Connect with Business Customers
Understanding energy usage, equipment saturations and the potential for future energy savings is of significant interest and importance to Georgia Power. In an effort to better maximize energy efficiency saving efforts amongst the commercial segment, Georgia Power is currently undertaking an in-depth, intensive saturation study. The utility is conducting a physical audit of the equipment of its commercial segment, comprised of retailers, offices, groceries and restaurants. Results will be used to enhance Georgia Power’s energy efficiency programs and to better meet customer needs. In this session, Lincoln Wood will detail lessons learned and provide a behind-the-scenes look at Georgia Power’s process of collecting data, forming vendor partnerships and executing implementation, as well as offer a cost-benefit analysis.
Speaker:
Lincoln Wood, Senior Marketing Research Analyst, Southern Company
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
YOUtilities Challenge
A dramatic shift in the way customers receive their news and spend free time is occurring. Audience numbers for traditional media such as television, radio and newspaper continue to decline while the use of social media sites like Facebook, have become widespread. Natalia Sibert discuss Colorado Springs Utilities’ (CSU) Public Affairs Division will discuss the utility’s interactive Facebook contest - the YOUtilities Challenge - as part of the energy and water conservation customer education campaign. This campaign included various components, including a Facebook contest. As the number of users to social media sites grow, so does the need for communicators and utilities to move their messaging online. Hear how this social strategy is allowing CSU to deliver messages in a very targeted, frequently evolving and cost-effective manner.
Speaker:
Natilia Sibert, Public Affairs Division, Colorado Springs Utilities
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
IVR Interaction: Using Market Research to Improve the Customer Experience
To enhance customer contact, Georgia Power now carefully scrutinizes customer data on metrics such as average wait time or time spent in the utility’s interactive voice response unit (IVR). The utility’s market research department has begun analyzing customer satisfaction as it correlates with wait time and IVR interaction, comparing this to the customer’s actual experience. More specifically, the utility has been able to analyze at what point in time during the customer’s satisfaction begins to decline. This presentation will take a focused look at the utility’s research methodology and strategy for tracking these key metrics and statistics going forward.
Speaker:
Donna Alvado, Customer Satisfaction Project Manager, Georgia Power
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Speed Networking
This unique event consistently wins praise from Summit attendees, who appreciate the opportunity to meet colleagues and discuss shared concerns in a fast-paced environment. Speed networking is designed to facilitate knowledge exchange and relationship building in a fun, exciting and effective way.
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
Customer Satisfaction Modeling: Using Metrics to Identify Drivers
J.D. Power and Associates (JDPA) has been providing customer satisfaction research for more than 14 years to utilities across the country. The firm has strong knowledge of the key drivers of residential and business customer satisfaction. One of the tools JDPA provides to clients is a Customer Satisfaction Simulator. The Simulator allows utilities to compare key satisfaction drivers against either the entire industry, regional results or against individual brands. The tool also provides performance gaps and offers expected customer satisfaction improvement gains by improving key metrics. John Hazen of JDPA will explain the Simulator and how it is used by utilities to determine where to spend their time and resources to provide the biggest gains in satisfaction.
Speaker:
John Hazen, Senior Director, J.D. Power & Associates
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM
Using Primary and Secondary Research to Create an Organizational Roadmap
In 2011, Xcel Energy’s marketing team was challenged to complete an external analysis for determining its three to five-year roadmap. Although the marketing organization worked under a short timeframe, it was able to successfully engage existing information and facilitate a collaborative effort. The marketing team used primary and secondary research to produce a competitive analysis - closely evaluating threats and vulnerabilities as defined by Michael Porter’s Five Forces strategic model - to confirm direction with Xcel Energy’s leadership. This presentation will drill down into the key findings of the study that have revealed the pathway the utility will need to consider in best serving customers on a day-to-day basis, offering programs and services, and much more.
Speaker:
Mandy McLean, Senior Research Analyst, Xcel Energy
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Digital Drives Value – How Market Segmentation Can Deliver ROI and Customer Satisfaction
Rigorous market segmentation combined with the key business strategies of virtualization, personalization and co-creation provided the intellectual platform for Northeast Utilities to design several key digital applications that have redefined the manner in which the company does business. These applications, which are targeted to different segments, have proven to be successful in two dimensions – increasing the degrees of freedom that the business has to increase customer satisfaction and dramatically reducing the cost curve. Specifically, an application was created to better connect physicians and social service agencies to the Customer Experience organization and a new comprehensive digital platform was designed to service a variety of market segments. This presentation will provide a thorough review of the segmentation, research, planning and execution required to launch these two digital efforts.
Speaker:
Dwayne Goldsmith, Director, Customer Experience, Northeast Utilities
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM
NB Power Contact Strategy and the Development of Customer Experience Index:
Implementing an Index to Enhance the Customer Experience
Developing and integrating new features, such as self-service, have resulted enhanced interactions and services for NB Power’s customers. These efforts are included in the utility’s alignment to the corporate strategy and related strategy map, which largely focuses on the customer experience. During this presentation, Chris Tumwine will share the perspectives NB Power has used to establish its customer contact strategy and the seven critical success factors that contribute to its success. Attendees will also learn about the key processes behind the development of the utility’s Customer Experience Index, as well as results to-date.
Speaker:
Chris Tumwine, Senior Advisor - Customer Research and Business Planning, NB Power
5:30 PM – 7:30
Cocktail Reception
Friday, February 24, 2012
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM
Hey, Who Turned Out the Lights? SRP’s New Outage Management Tracking Study
Salt River Project recently launched an outage management tracking study seeking to better serve its residential customers during an outage. This presentation will provide an overview of the preliminary results and lessons learned from SRP’s comprehensive study evaluating the experiences of customers when the lights go out. This presentation will identify several factors that affect the customer’s overall satisfaction. In addition to discussing the potential mitigating impact of e-notifications of customer satisfaction regarding outages, call handling will also be discussed.
Speaker
Colleen Warner, Senior Market Research Analyst, Salt River Project
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Interactive Discussion: The Best of the Best…and the Less
Want to know why some utility market campaigns have excelled and why others have not been as successful? Chartwell will facilitate this participant-driven session and offer some best practice stories and some initiatives to avoid. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to weigh in on some of the key market research issues discussed during the Summit, ask questions of presenters as well as Chartwell researchers and take back valuable lessons learned from industry peers.
Discussion Leader:
Stacey Bailey, Senior Research Analyst, Chartwell Inc.
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Slice It, Dice It, Sort It, Court It: Segmenting Market Data for Improved Target Marketing
Speaker
Mike Woodard, Research Team Leader, Arizona Public Service
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Energy Efficiency Programs: Examining Residential Customer Interest
Energy efficiency programs are high priorities for many utilities, but customer adoption can be a challenge. Many consumers either report they: try to conserve energy; say they will try to conserve; or think they should. But, what action is being taken? Bellomy Research has just completed its multi-modal 2012 Residential Electric Utilities Pulse, a national survey that takes a look at the residential customers’ attitudes and behaviors regarding current energy issues ranging from conservation to smart grid/smart meter awareness and understanding. This presentation will share prevailing tendencies and show if and/or how consumers respond differently to various modes of data collection. Attendees will be provided with a comparison of the attitudes and behaviors of residential customers across the nation.
Speaker:
Carol Hefner, Vice President, Bellomy Research
12:00 PM
Conference Adjourns
