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Coming on the heels of the Large Business Customer Value Benchmark results, Georgia Power has again reached the top quartile by receiving consistently high scores from all of its key account customers.
The Key Account Survey, conducted this summer, includes the Large Business Benchmark results — 562 key accounts surveyed in early spring — and the survey results from all other key account customers (1,211) as well. The survey resulted in an overall score of 8.6 on the Customer Value Index (CVI) for all key accounts, with all regions achieving their goal of top quartile CVI scores for all of their key accounts.
Scott Poole, major accounts sales manager, said the keys to producing high customer value scores were strong customer relationships, understanding customer needs, and effective internal teamwork.
"We increased our focus on joint planning sessions with customers to better understand their needs as well as communicate the value we deliver," Poole said. "Our customers told us they wanted more communication, from broad industry issues to specific initiatives at Georgia Power. They also asked for help managing costs in a challenging economy. We were successful as a result of the strong internal teamwork needed to make these things happen."
Kline Petty, sales manager for the East region, attests to the value of customer communication. His region achieved the highest CVI score, marking the fourth time in five years of doing so.
"Our top ranking goes to the talent of the team and their ability to work with individual customers in the communication style the customer prefers," he said. "Because of the longstanding relationships that we've built with our customers, we can communicate effectively whether it is something positive or negative. It all goes back to the tenets of Southern Style."
The Coastal region showed the highest increase in CVI score this year, which Sales Manager Dinah King said stemmed in part from customizing specific plans to address customers' individual needs. Those plans included energy efficiency, a huge emphasis this year.
"The Energy Systems Team really stepped up and put in many long days and weekends to meet the increased demand for audits this year," said Poole.
Satisfaction with energy efficiency has increased for the second year in a row as a result of this teamwork, said Poole.
Once the feedback from the energy audits was received in the Coastal region, for example, they were assigned a project manager who then set up meetings.
"I was just doing my job," said Dale Holloway, who topped the charts in both Top CVI score and Most Improved CVI. "It was a team effort. I've been involved with customer service surveys for a number of years, and the field personnel and metering can influence them more than they realize. We had good, positive survey responses in that area; therefore, that points out that it was a team effort. I can't take credit for it in my region."