Communicating with CustomersMoving Out from Under the Radar and into the Crosshairs

Photos: Mild Mannered Photographer / Alex Erde & cliff1066

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Pam Broviak, City Engineer/Asst. DPWCity of Geneva, Illinois

INtroductions

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the CrosshairsUtility

Customer

Bills

CCR

Violations

Under the Radar

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the CrosshairsUtility

Customer

Bill Payments

Complaints

Service Requests

Under the Radar

Questions

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Under the Radar

Let's look more closely at what's behind those communications

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Under the Radar

Pressure Concerns

Billing Disputes

Water Quality Complaints

Water Shutoff Requests

Bill Payments

New Service Requests

Leak Notifications

Transfer Service

Sewer Backups

Odor Complaints

Equipment Failure Complaints

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the CrosshairsHow many analyze these communications?

Under the Radar

Study from 06-07 in New England: 45.3% of allComplaints related to billing & charges

Study from 2006 in Scotland: highest number of complaintsrelated to water quality - particularly appearance

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the CrosshairsIs it time to move out from under the radar?

Under the Radar

Are we doing a good job addressing customer concerns, questions, complaints?

Can we do a better job? How?

Can we do more to improve our relationshipwith our customers?

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Let's look at how utilities are using Social Mediato improve customer service

Moving into the Crosshairs . . .

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

1,849 Followers

Thames Water on Twitter

BillingSystem Repairs & ConstructionEventsQuestionsService requestsJob OpeningsInformation#tweetaleak

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

http://thesewermanslog.wordpress.com/

Not only is the video helping us spread our message of Bin it dont block it but each time it is viewed on YouTube, Thames Water will spend a penny for WaterAid to help the charity transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the worlds poorest communities.

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

City of Bryan, Texas, CCR Calendar

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Limmerick posted on The Portland Water Bureau Facebook pagehttp://www.portlandonline.com/water/

A sleepy old gnome from the moonWould sit on a Benson till noonHe'd nap and he'd yawnTill the water turned onAnd shot him back home with a boom

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the CrosshairsUtility

Customer

Bill Payments

Complaints

Service Requests

Under the Radar

Questions

Ideas

Insight

Input

CCR

Bills

Violations

Education

Experiences

Information

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

. . . the water then was nasty! It smelled,was discolored, and tur[n]ed all of our white clothes brown. We bought a water soft[e]ner thinking it would help- wrong. The only thing worse than having water this terrible is having to pay for it!

There be danger . . .

. . . best be prepared!

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

. . . **** having horrible tasting water is laughable and pure BS. I grew up there and prefer it over any other water system in ****** and most other places in the US for that matter.

And be thankful for loyal customers

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Choose your team (include attorney)

Determine your goals

Research other utilities

Choose the tools

Set the policy

Schedule your implementation

Practice

To get started, put together your plan

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Videos

Blogs

RSS Feeds

Social Networks

Tools of choice for customer engagement:

-How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0: McKinsey Global Survey Results

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

But remember, there are non-digital solutions

What?

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Non-digital customer engagement

Bulletin Boards

Posters

Whiteboards

Flyers/Newsletters

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Surveys have found increased improvement in:

Brand awareness/loyalty

Customer satisfaction

Increased revenue

Reducing communication costs

Speed of access to knowledge

So is it worth it? Yes!

-How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0: McKinsey Global Survey Results

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

And if we don't do it,someone else will!

Communicating with Customers Moving OutFrom Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs

Into the Crosshairs

Pam Broviak, PECity of Geneva630-232-1501pbroviak@geneva.il.us

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pbroviakBlog: http://www.publicworksgroup.com/blog

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pambroviakSlides at: http://www.slideshare.net/publicworksgroup

Thank you!