Energy Central
Energy Central is an online community for global power professionals searching for information, products and services related to the energy industry. Energy Central helps the Power Industry work better!
Post
Customer Corner: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Customer Care Group – July 19, 2022
Welcome to the Customer Care Group roundup, Customer Corner. As always, your fellow group members are paying close attention to utility customer care trends and sharing their insights. This month’s selection includes the benefits of real-time bill payments, what to post on social media, and more. Be sure to like and comment on your favorite posts. Happy reading!
Tips for Talking to Customers About Rising Energy Rates
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/questline/tips-talking-customers-about-rising-energy-rates
Given the high cost of gas and inflation in general, now is a great time for utilities to proactively talk to customers about rising energy prices. In this post, Bethany Farchione, Marketing Director at Questline Inc. offers some suggestions for effectively delivering this difficult news. They include acknowledging customers’ feelings, being transparent, and providing resources to help people reduce energy consumption.
Why Consumers Want Real-time Bill Payments – And Why Utilities Should, Too
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/why-consumers-want-real-time-bill-payments-%E2%80%93-and-why-utilities-should-too
Real-time payments include tools like mobile bill presentment in which the utility bill is delivered through a customer’s digital wallet, and Request for Pay in which payments are matched to available funds. In this article, Christopher Johnson, Head of Biller Solutions at Fiserv explains the value of this type of billing for both customers (such as not having to worry about late fees) and utilities (such as happier customers and cost savings). He also provides steps for utilities to get started with and overcome barriers around real-time payments.
Your Utility on Social Media: Avoid the Controversy
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/cc/your-utility-social-media-avoid-controversy
In the polarized world of social media, people and companies that don’t want a big fight on their hands should stay away from controversial subjects – a list that’s growing longer by the day. In this piece, Andy Gotlieb, editor of a specialty publication and former public relations practitioner explains what topics to avoid (hot-button issues include politics, gun control, and COVID) and those that are more likely to be well-received (including holidays, weather-related information, and energy-saving tips).
Utility Billing – There’s an App for That!
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/cc/cc62922
Everyone knows how useful apps can be, yet one-third of large utilities still don’t have one. Here, Nevelyn Black, independent writer explains that many of these companies are in the process of changing that. The apps they’re offering include payment solutions that help to reduce payment-related customer service calls and improve customer satisfaction, and chatbots to help customers get immediate answers to their questions.
Thanks again for reading this edition of Customer Corner! The authors listed above are eager to hear your thoughts and questions, so don’t hesitate to engage them. And if you want your content to be featured in this spot in future issues, be sure to publish your posts within the Customer Care Community.
Make sure you don’t miss out on these shared insights in the future.
If you're not yet a member of the EC Customer Care community, follow the link to 'JOIN NOW!' Then select the "join option" in the top right of the group page. If you are not yet registered, you will be prompted to create a profile first.
As a member, you'll not only be able to read what your fellow peers are saying but also be able to join in on the conversations by sharing your insights (which might get featured in a future monthly digest!). Plus, you can start a conversation by discussing articles with peers in the comments section, and you will automatically be signed up to receive the Network's weekly newsletter.
Already a member, but you’re not receiving the Community Group's Updates? Log in, and then follow this link to manage your newsletter Subscriptions.
- We Can Sustain It – February 3, 2023
- We Can Manage It – February 2, 2023
- Materials Tracking and Traceability Leveraging GIS with Locana and Suburban Consulting Engineers [an Energy Central PowerTalk™ with Locana]
- Episode #111: 'The Future of Energy & Utilities' with Lincoln Bleveans, Executive Director of Sustainability at Stanford [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]
Discussions
No discussions yet. Start a discussion below.
- Digital Digest: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Intelligent Utility Network – September 30, 2022
- Management Matters: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Utility Management Group – September 29, 2022
- Generation Guide: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Generation Network – September 16, 2022
- Customer Corner: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Customer Care Group – September 15, 2022
Get Published - Build a Following
The Energy Central Power Industry Network is based on one core idea - power industry professionals helping each other and advancing the industry by sharing and learning from each other.
If you have an experience or insight to share or have learned something from a conference or seminar, your peers and colleagues on Energy Central want to hear about it. It's also easy to share a link to an article you've liked or an industry resource that you think would be helpful.
Sign in to Participate