CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Market Strategies International names 49 utilities as 2017 Customer Champions, reflective of these utilities building the industry’s strongest customer engagement through superior service, brand and product experiences. These Customer Champions rate higher than industry peers on being “well managed companies” and have greater pricing power, with their customers showing higher support for rate increases.
Now in its fourth year, the 2017 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential, a Cogent Reports study by Market Strategies International, names Customer Champions from a benchmark set of 128 electric, natural gas and combination utilities. This coveted designation is based on Engaged Customer Relationship (ECR) score achievement, a customer management metric that measures the entire customer experience. ECR is based upon 12 factors that span Brand Trust, Product Experience and Service Satisfaction performance.
Customer Management Performance Scoring |
Customer Champions |
All other utilities |
Customer Champion outperformance |
||||
Engaged Customer Relationship |
751 | 712 | 39 | ||||
Brand Trust | 714 | 673 | 41 | ||||
Product Experience | 740 | 699 | 41 | ||||
Service Satisfaction | 790 | 756 | 34 |
“It’s clear from our findings that Customer Champion utilities have stronger brands to influence customer behavior, gain acceptance for rate increases, lower operating costs and enhance revenue opportunities. These utilities also lead on industry innovation and building the new energy economy,” said Chris Oberle, a senior vice president at Market Strategies International. “The bottom line is Customer Champions are superior at profitably managing their customer operations and marketing efforts.”
The 2017 Customer Champion utilities score highest on ECR and exhibit best practices that make them the best managed in the industry.
EAST REGION PEER BENCHMARKING | |||||
Utility Service Type | Brand |
Engaged Customer Relationship Score |
|||
Combination | BGE | 746 | |||
Combination | PECO Energy | 735 | |||
Combination | NYSEG | 731 | |||
Combination | National Grid | 723 | |||
Combination | PSE&G | 722 | |||
Combination | Delmarva Power | 718 | |||
Combination | Con Edison | 710 | |||
Combination | RG&E | 709 | |||
Combination | Eversource Energy | 702 | |||
Electric | PPL Electric Utilities | 759 | |||
Electric | Duquesne Light | 721 | |||
Electric | PSEG Long Island | 708 | |||
Electric | Central Maine Power | 701 | |||
Electric | Met-Ed | 700 | |||
Electric | Penn Power | 699 | |||
Electric | West Penn Power | 697 | |||
Electric | Penelec | 688 | |||
Electric | Monongahela Power | 687 | |||
Electric | Potomac Edison | 686 | |||
Electric | Atlantic City Electric | 681 | |||
Electric | Pepco | 668 | |||
Electric | Jersey Central Power & Light | 652 | |||
Electric | Appalachian Power | 648 | |||
Natural Gas | UGI Utilities | 772 | |||
Natural Gas | New Jersey Natural Gas | 755 | |||
Natural Gas | Philadelphia Gas Works | 754 | |||
Natural Gas | National Fuel Gas | 751 | |||
Natural Gas | Washington Gas | 750 | |||
Natural Gas | Elizabethtown Gas | 728 | |||
Natural Gas | Columbia Gas - East | 726 | |||
Natural Gas | Peoples | 726 | |||
Natural Gas | South Jersey Gas Company | 715 | |||
Scores based on a 1,000-point maximum scale |
MIDWEST REGION PEER BENCHMARKING | |||||
Utility Service Type | Brand |
Engaged Customer Relationship Score |
|||
Combination | Consumers Energy | 751 | |||
Combination | NIPSCO | 751 | |||
Combination | MidAmerican Energy | 749 | |||
Combination | Wisconsin Public Service | 741 | |||
Combination | DTE Energy | 734 | |||
Combination | We Energies | 730 | |||
Combination | Duke Energy Midwest | 722 | |||
Combination | Ameren Illinois | 718 | |||
Combination | Alliant Energy | 713 | |||
Combination | Vectren | 711 | |||
Combination | Xcel Energy - Midwest | 708 | |||
Electric | Indianapolis Power & Light | 735 | |||
Electric | Indiana Michigan Power | 732 | |||
Electric | Ohio Edison | 727 | |||
Electric | ComEd | 724 | |||
Electric | OPPD | 722 | |||
Electric | KCP&L | 717 | |||
Electric | Dayton Power & Light | 712 | |||
Electric | AEP Ohio | 711 | |||
Electric | Ameren Missouri | 710 | |||
Electric | The Illuminating Company | 707 | |||
Electric | Toledo Edison | 700 | |||
Electric | Westar Energy | 681 | |||
Natural Gas | SEMCO Energy Gas Company | 760 | |||
Natural Gas | Nicor Gas | 749 | |||
Natural Gas | CenterPoint Energy - Midwest | 744 | |||
Natural Gas | Citizens Energy | 741 | |||
Natural Gas | Atmos Energy - Midwest | 736 | |||
Natural Gas | Columbia Gas of Ohio | 733 | |||
Natural Gas | Kansas Gas Service | 727 | |||
Natural Gas | Dominion Energy Ohio | 726 | |||
Natural Gas | Peoples Gas | 724 | |||
Natural Gas | Spire - Western Missouri | 720 | |||
Natural Gas | Spire - Eastern Missouri | 717 | |||
Scoring based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale |
SOUTH REGION PEER BENCHMARKING | |||||
Utility Service Type | Brand |
Engaged Customer Relationship Score |
|||
Combination | CPS Energy | 733 | |||
Combination | Louisville Gas & Electric | 725 | |||
Combination | SCE&G | 720 | |||
Combination | MLGW | 716 | |||
Electric | Georgia Power | 770 | |||
Electric | Florida Power & Light | 762 | |||
Electric | OG&E | 758 | |||
Electric | Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 756 | |||
Electric | JEA | 753 | |||
Electric | Kentucky Utilities | 748 | |||
Electric | OUC | 746 | |||
Electric | Gulf Power | 740 | |||
Electric | Nashville Electric Service | 734 | |||
Electric | Alabama Power | 732 | |||
Electric | Duke Energy Carolinas | 730 | |||
Electric | Duke Energy Progress | 729 | |||
Electric | Duke Energy Florida | 720 | |||
Electric | Xcel Energy - South | 718 | |||
Electric | Dominion Energy Virginia | 712 | |||
Electric | Entergy | 711 | |||
Electric | Mississippi Power | 710 | |||
Electric | TECO Tampa Electric | 708 | |||
Electric | Southwestern Electric Power Company | 705 | |||
Electric | Austin Energy | 691 | |||
Electric | El Paso Electric | 674 | |||
Electric | Kentucky Power | 652 | |||
Natural Gas | TECO Peoples Gas | 789 | |||
Natural Gas | Atmos Energy - South | 786 | |||
Natural Gas | Piedmont Natural Gas | 777 | |||
Natural Gas | Columbia Gas - South | 768 | |||
Natural Gas | PSNC Energy | 767 | |||
Natural Gas | Spire - South | 762 | |||
Natural Gas | CenterPoint Energy - South | 760 | |||
Natural Gas | Oklahoma Natural Gas | 758 | |||
Natural Gas | Virginia Natural Gas | 735 | |||
Natural Gas | Texas Gas Service | 734 | |||
Scoring based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale |
WEST REGION PEER BENCHMARKING | |||||
Utility Service Type | Brand |
Engaged Customer Relationship Score |
|||
Combination | Xcel Energy- West | 745 | |||
Combination | SDG&E | 727 | |||
Combination | Puget Sound Energy | 721 | |||
Combination | Avista | 701 | |||
Combination | NorthWestern Energy | 697 | |||
Combination | PG&E | 689 | |||
Electric | SMUD | 778 | |||
Electric | Salt River Project | 767 | |||
Electric | Idaho Power | 743 | |||
Electric | Seattle City Light | 740 | |||
Electric | Southern California Edison | 730 | |||
Electric | Portland General Electric | 729 | |||
Electric | Tucson Electric Power | 729 | |||
Electric | Rocky Mountain Power | 727 | |||
Electric | APS | 724 | |||
Electric | Pacific Power | 724 | |||
Electric | NV Energy | 720 | |||
Electric | Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 682 | |||
Electric | PNM | 652 | |||
Natural Gas | Dominion Energy West | 773 | |||
Natural Gas | SoCalGas | 762 | |||
Natural Gas | NW Natural | 759 | |||
Natural Gas | Intermountain Gas Company | 742 | |||
Natural Gas | Southwest Gas | 740 | |||
Natural Gas | New Mexico Gas Company | 740 | |||
Natural Gas | Cascade Natural Gas | 729 | |||
Scoring based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale |
About the Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential report
Cogent Reports conducted surveys among 59,947 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 130 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The sample design uses US census data and strict quotas to ensure a demographically balanced sample of each evaluated utility’s customers based on age, gender, income, race and ethnicity. Utilities within the same region and of the same type (e.g., electric-only providers) are given equal weight in order to balance the influence of each utility’s customers on survey results. Market Strategies will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
About Market Strategies International
Market Strategies International is a leading provider of research and consulting services to utility management, trusted by the world’s most successful organizations to help them thrive. We blend primary research with data from our syndicated, benchmarking and self-funded studies to provide clients with exceptional research insight that helps solve their challenges. Our research specialties include brand, communications, CX, product development and segmentation. Our syndicated products, known as Cogent Reports, help clients understand the market environment, explore industry trends and monitor their brand within the competitive landscape. Founded in 1989, Market Strategies is one of the largest market research firms in the world. Read Market Strategies’ blog at FreshMR, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.