Consumer Ratings And What They Really Mean
No matter what field you're in, it feels good to be recognized for a job well done
. For a company, the best kind of recognition comes in the form of customer satisfaction. Nothing brings our employees more joy than to hear from real customers how their energy savings and payment options have made their lives just a little bit easier. The second-best kind of praise comes from third-party rating agencies. After synthesizing a wide range of feedback from real Texas energy customers, marketing services companies such as J.D. Power and Associates provide customers with hard data to rank Texas electricity companies against each other. Any provider in the top tier of the list is to be congratulated, to have been ranked #4 in the 2009 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study is great!
Being ranked so high is not easy and it's not an accident. Electric providers were ranked by four important criteria: Billing, Cost, Communications and Customer Service. Those scores were all put together to formulate an Overall Satisfaction score.
In order to keep these ratings up, do several things to make residential electricity service as easy and cost-effective as possible. Indeed, most consumers feel price is an important, if not the most important reason they choose an energy provider. As energy writer Tom Fowler noted on his Houston Chronicle energy blog, rates, particularly on a month-to-month plan, are quite competitive. Further, offering a number of different billing and payment options, allowing the consumer to choose the best circumstances for their specific situation.
In order to keep that Communication score up, the company must have web site features. After creating a password-protected account, you can manage many facets of your electric service. Among other things, you can add accounts and customize your service. Some people choose to lock into a fixed-rate plan, ensuring their price per kilowatt/hour will not vary. Others, on the other hand, prefer a variable rate plan, in which the price fluctuates, depending on the season and other factors. Make it easy to see your electricity usage. This is an important tool that allows you to save money (and the environment). If you see exactly how much electricity you are using, the shock may inspire you to turn the air conditioner down (also keeping your bill down). When you compare this number to your usage from other time periods, you are empowered to make better decisions with respect to energy consumption.
While it's great to be recognized, it's important for consumers to realize that it doesn't stop working after those numbers are released. No matter how well the company does, there's always room for improvement. That's why make it easier than ever to communicate with customer service representatives, and in a wide range of ways. In order to strive for even greater excellence, prospective and existing customers have several options, new and old. For those who prefer reaching out and touching someone, you can dial up Customer Care. Customers who want to click and send an e-mail can do so. While you're surfing web sites during certain business hours, you have the option to click on the banner to be connected to a customer service representative for real-time chat. If that's not enough, you can also become a Facebook Fan, which allows you to view updates about company services and even receive tips about how to save money on your monthly energy bill. Even better, you have the chance to communicate with other customers.
Customer service is particularly important because of the competitive nature of the Texas electricity market. Unfortunately, it's not possible to keep all of the people happy all of the time. That's where comprehensive service comes in. Once a problem is brought to attention, trained representatives are charged with the responsibility to try and resolve problems in a manner that is agreeable to both company and consumer. Many times, problems can be chalked up to simple misunderstandings, certainly nothing that is too hard to fix.
Awards and other accolades are persuasive things to include in press releases, but the best reward for a job well done comes with the satisfaction of knowing that customers are getting clean, reasonably priced power from a company they trust.
by: Terry Mickelson
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