Communicating with customers: Moving Out From Under the Radar and Into the Crosshairs. Presentation delivered by Pam Broviak at the IL-AWWA conference in Springfield on Wed, March 23, 2011

1. Communicating with Customers Moving Out from Under the Radar and into the Crosshairs Photos: Mild Mannered Photographer / Alex Erde & cliff1066

2. Pam Broviak, City Engineer/Asst. DPW City of Geneva, Illinois INtroductions

3. Utility Customer Bills CCR Violations Under the Radar

4. Utility Customer Bill Payments Complaints Service Requests Under the Radar Questions

5. Under the Radar Let's look more closely at what's behind those communications

6. 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

7. How many analyze these communications? Under the Radar Study from 06-07 in New England: 45.3% of all Complaints related to billing & charges Study from 2006 in Scotland: highest number of complaints related to water quality - particularly appearance

8. Is 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 relationship with our customers?

9. Into the Crosshairs Let's look at how utilities are using Social Media to improve customer service Moving into the Crosshairs . . .

10. Into the Crosshairs 1,849 Followers Thames Water on Twitter Billing System Repairs & Construction Events Questions Service requests Job Openings Information #tweetaleak

11. Into the Crosshairs

12. Into the Crosshairs

13. Into the Crosshairs http://thesewermanslog.wordpress.com/ “ Not only is the video helping us spread our message of ‘Bin it – don’t 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 world’s poorest communities.”

14. Into the Crosshairs City of Bryan, Texas, CCR Calendar

15. Into the Crosshairs Limmerick posted on The Portland Water Bureau Facebook page http://www.portlandonline.com/water/ “ A sleepy old gnome from the moon Would sit on a Benson till noon He'd nap and he'd yawn Till the water turned on And shot him back home with a boom”

16. Utility Customer Bill Payments Complaints Service Requests Under the Radar Questions Ideas Insight Input CCR Bills Violations Education Experiences Information

17. 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!

18. 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

20. Determine your goals

21. Research other utilities

22. Choose the tools

23. Set the policy

24. Schedule your implementation

25. Practice To get started, put together your plan

27. Blogs

28. RSS Feeds

29. Social Networks Tools of choice for customer engagement: -How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0: McKinsey Global Survey Results

30. Into the Crosshairs But remember, there are non-digital solutions What?

31. Into the Crosshairs Non-digital customer engagement Bulletin Boards Posters Whiteboards Flyers/Newsletters

33. Customer satisfaction

34. Increased revenue

35. Reducing communication costs

36. Speed of access to knowledge So is it worth it? Yes! -How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0: McKinsey Global Survey Results

37. Into the Crosshairs And if we don't do it, someone else will!