ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2002 -- Utility customer service officials say more customers are beginning to use the Internet for service interaction with their energy or water provider, but movement toward the Web seems to be a slowly evolving process.
This is among the many conclusions reported in the just-released "Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2003," part of Chartwell's ongoing customer service research series. This report is available individually for purchase, or as part of a subscription to the Chartwell CIS and Customer Service Research Series.
Based on interviews with 100 customer service directors at leading North American utility companies, Chartwell found that more utility officials rate higher their customers' use of the Internet for interactions such as bill payment and sign up for new service than customer service officials did 18 months earlier, when Chartwell's 2001 customer care survey was undertaken.
This is a sign that utilities are beginning to see success in their efforts to steer customers to the Internet, as well as evidence that more utilities are offering more online service options.
"The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2003" is the third study by Chartwell focusing on the customer contact operations of electric, gas and water utilities in North America, primarily the U.S. It includes three sections, broken down as follows:
* an in-depth analysis of the industry, with chapters on Internet-based customer service, call center technologies and benchmarks, and 30 charts and graphs;
* 102 published interviews with customer service officials from investor- owned utilities, municipal service providers and cooperatives; and
* profiles of more than 60 industry software and service vendors.
In addition to online customer service, "The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2003" reports on IVR usage and implementation, the business challenges facing customer care executives, staffing and management, and more.
Customer service executives face great challenges in improving customer service with limited budgets. This research allows utilities to see how their counterparts are performing and where the industry is headed in regards to customer care technologies and management.
For more information about "The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2003" or to order an electronic copy online, please visit www.energylibrary.com and follow the links to customer service and call centers, or call Juli Collins at (800) 432-5879 or (404) 237-9099.
