This presentation will give you key findings from the E Source Residential Customer Service Survey. You'll learn the what was discovered from the highest-rated IVRs and websites and best practices.
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www.esource.com Monday, January 3, 2014 Credit Features on Utilities’ Websites and IVRs What Customers Want Sarah Fiebiger Senior Analyst, Market Research Services E Source @ESourceSarah
Transcript
1. www.esource.com Monday, January 3, 2014 Credit Features on
Utilities Websites and IVRs What Customers Want Sarah Fiebiger
Senior Analyst, Market Research Services E Source
@ESourceSarah
2. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source What Customers Want On
Utility Website & IVRs Results From E Source Residential
Customer Service Survey 2 Image courtesy of stockimages /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image courtesy of adamr /
FreeDigitalPhotos.netImage courtesy of adamr /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
3. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source Top 10 Utility Customer
Services & Information Features by Channel Website (Desktop/
Laptop) Mobile Website/ App IVR 1. Contact information 2. View your
current bill 3. View payment and billing options 4. Check your
account balance 5. Manage your online account 6. Report an outage
or gas leak 7. View a summary of your account information 8.
Pricing options 9. Make a one-time payment 10.View your payment
history 1. Contact information 2. View your current bill 3. Report
a power outage or gas leak 4. Check your account balance 5. View
payment and billing options 6. Manage your online account 7. View a
summary of your account information 8. Make a one-time payment 9.
View your payment history 10.Access outage or gas leak information
specific to your location 1. Reach a live agent 2. Report a power
outage or gas leak 3. Your account balance 4. Find out if your
payment was received 5. Outage or gas leak information specific to
your location 6. Whether and when service will be disconnected 7.
Start, stop, or transfer service when moving 8. General updates on
outages or gas leak restorations 9. Submit a service order
10.Status of a service order 3 Whats Important to Residential
Customers Notes: Results from the E Source Residential Customer
Service Survey 2013, a survey of more than 1,000 residential
customers in the US and Canada. QuestionsHow important, if at all,
is it to you that each of the following types of information be
available at your energy provider's full (desktop or laptop)
website?, How important, if at all, is it to you that each of the
following types of customer services be available at your energy
provider's full (desktop or laptop) website?, "How important, if at
all, is it to you that each of the following types of information
be available at your energy provider's mobile website or mobile
app?", "How important, if at all, is it to you that each of the
following types of customer services be available at your energy
provider's mobile website or mobile app?, How important, if at all,
is it to you that you hear an option for each of the following
types of information on your energy provider's automated phone
menu?, How important, if at all, is it to you that you hear an
option for each of the following types of customer services on your
energy provider's automated phone menu? The highest-scoring
features are shown based on the top-two box score, which is the
percentage of residential customers who selected a 9 or 10 on a
10-point scale, where 1 = not at all important and 10 = very
important. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of 34
different features. u E Source
4. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source4 What Residential Customers
Have Used Top 10 Utility Customer Services & Information
Features Residential Customers Have Accessed Website (Desktop/
Laptop) Mobile Website/ App IVR 1. View payment and billing options
2. View your current bill 3. Check your account balance 4. View
your payment history 5. Make a one-time payment 6. View a summary
of your account information 7. Manage your online account 8. View
your energy usage history 9. View contact information 10. View past
bills 1. View payment and billing options 2. Check your account
balance 3. View your current bill 4. View contact information 5.
View your payment history 6. Make a one-time payment 7. View a
summary of your account information 8. View your energy usage
history 9. View energy-saving tips 10. Manage your online account
1. Make a one-time payment 2. Hear your account balance 3. Hear
billing options 4. Report a power outage or gas leak 5. Get extra
time to pay your bill 6. Find out if your payment was received 7.
Hear the date and amount of the last payment posted 8. Set up
recurring monthly payments 9. Set up a payment arrangement to pay
off an overdue balance 10. Hear general updates on outages or gas
leak restorations Notes: Results from the E Source Residential
Customer Service Survey 2013, a survey of more than 1,000
residential customers in the US and Canada. Question"Using the
following devices, what have you done on your energy provider's
website in the past 12 months? - Mobile device (smartphone or
tablet) - Desktop or laptop computer automated phone system.
Features that 25 percent or more of respondents selected are shown
in the table. Respondents could select from 30 different features.
E Source
5. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source Whats on Utility Websites
& IVRs? Results From E Source 2013 Utility Website & IVR
Benchmarks 5 E Source
6. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source6 What credit/billing &
payment features were included? IVR Disconnect Status How to
Reconnect Service Payment Arrangements Account Balance Last Payment
Received Make a Payment Website (full) Payment Arrangements Payment
and Billing Options Account Balance Make a Payment Online Bill
Viewing Website (mobile) Payment Arrangements (2011) Account
Balance Make a Payment Online Bill Viewing Payment and Billing
Options
7. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source7 Key Findings from
Highest-Rated IVRs When considering IVRs with the highest usability
ratings, we found that: Providing choice, clarity, and ease of use
is still important for creating a positive customer experience.
Interactive voice response systems (IVRs) with well-executed
open-response technology were easier to use than any other type of
IVR. Features that took longer to find led to poorer IVR
experiences.
8. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source8 Key Findings from
Highest-Rated Websites When considering websites with the highest
usability ratings, we found that: Mobile-optimized features have
higher usability than non- mobile-optimized features accessed from
a mobile device. Consumers like large, prominent buttons on the
home page that provide easy access for key features Highly rated
utilities use bright, bold colors and large text. Consumers dislike
cluttered pages with too much text or, conversely, excess white
space.
9. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source9 Credit Feature Found On
Fewer Than Half of Utility Full & Mobile Websites
10. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source Payment Arrangements
Feature Found on More Than Half of Utility IVRs 10
11. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source Usability is Good For Some
Credit Features Found on Utility Websites 11
12. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source How to Reconnect Service
is Most Usable Feature on Utility IVRs 12
13. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source13 Payment Arrangements
Found on 43% of full websites Found on 29% of mobile websites Found
on 69% of IVRs
14. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source14 Payment Arrangements
(Full Website) Design Considerations Best Practices Use warm,
compassionate language to show customers you understand their
situation Allow customers to conduct this transaction without
having to log in as well as behind login Place the link to make a
payment arrangement in a prominent location, such as on the home
page, on a secure account page next to the bill due date, or near
the payment link Explain the terms of the payment arrangement so
customers know what they are signing up for Allow customers to set
time restraints when making a payment arrangement Pitfalls to Avoid
Hiding the Payment Arrangements option under an unclear heading or
in a drop-down subject field on an e-mail form Making the customer
submit a request that requires a follow-up from a customer service
representative Not explaining the reason a customer is ineligible
for a payment arrangement Failing to provide the Payment
Arrangements feature on both the public and secure pages of the
website
15. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source15 Payment Arrangements
(Full Website) Source: Fortis BC
16. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source16 Payment Arrangements
(Mobile Site) Design Considerations Best Practices Use warm,
compassionate language to show customers you understand their
situation Include the customer service phone number on the
arrangement or extension page so customers can easily call if they
run into problems Provide multiple channels for requesting an
arrangement, such as phone, e- mail, and web Allow customers to set
up a payment arrangement before the account becomes delinquent
Allow customers to conduct this transaction without having to log
in to the secure side of the site Pitfalls to Avoid Only allowing
customers to complete one task online, such as request an extension
but not an arrangement Not explaining the reason a customer is
ineligible for a payment arrangement Not including the customer
service phone number on the Payment Arrangements page
17. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source17 Payment Arrangements
(Mobile Site) Source: San Diego Gas & Electric
18. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source18 Payment Arrangements
(IVR) Design Considerations Best Practices Use a descriptive phrase
for each Payment Arrangements option, such as "pay your bill in
installments" and "to extend your due date" Give customers more
than one option for the length of a payment installment plan when
automating that task Offer a proposed extension date when
automating this task, and explain the consequences of declining the
due-date extension offer Include helpful information such as
account balance and due date, disconnect status, and available
financial assistance Include helpful follow-up options such as to
repeat the information, hear payment options, and speak with a CSR
Pitfalls to Avoid Labeling a payment extension or payment
installments option with a generic phrase, such as "payment
arrangements" Failing to provide the requirements for getting an
installment plan agreement or a due-date extension Telling
customers that they're not eligible for an extension or installment
plan without explaining why Not giving customers a chance to
confirm their choice to accept or decline a payment installment
plan or a new bill due date Hiding payment extension and payment
installment plan options from customers who are not yet in
arrears
21. www.esource.com || 2014 E Source21 Sarah Fiebiger Senior
Analyst, Market Research Services, E Source 303-345-9126
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