Relationship Drill Down for a Major Electric Utility

Problem: An electric utility was contemplating cost-cutting measures to improve customer satisfaction of its largest customers, but was unsure of the merits of this strategy.

Solution: A proposed tradeoff between power quality and costs savings was ill-advised since the resulting cost savings would be minimal and even a modest decline in power quality would generate strong customer dissatisfaction. Excellence in customer service quality, however, was shown to be an effective surrogate for lower costs, as concerns over electricity costs decline as service quality increase. Moreover, proposed reductions in account reps would have a deleterious effect on overall satisfaction for this critical market segment.

Result: The utility maintained its commitment to exceptional power quality and customer service excellence.