Tag: Webinars

As the coronavirus outbreak continues, so do conversations surrounding how best to approach communications with customers. On April 3, Questline Digital President Dave Reim hosted the second coronavirus town hall forum and led a discussion on communication best practices for energy utility business customers.

A recent J.D. Power Utility Pulse survey that showed 49% of customers recall seeing a coronavirus message from their utility in the past seven days and only 36% of customers rate their electric utilities’ response to coronavirus as great, excellent or perfect. This data presents an immense opportunity to close the gap and increase engagement with the other 64% of customers.

Our panel of industry experts, which included representatives from American Electric Power, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Eversource and ElectriCities of North Carolina, provided an inside look into their utilities’ strategies. They stated that delivering messages to business customers was just as much a focus as communicating to residential customers. In fact, demonstrated in the results of our forum survey, utilities are already communicating with customers on a wide range of topics, with frequent mentions including:

• 69% Grace period for late payment of bills
• 66% Security of power deliver
• 62% Energy saving tips or advice
• 52% Available channels of communication

Among the other topics included — energy efficiency program promotion, tips or advice for business health during the outbreak, community support activities and donations, information about non-utility assistance and changes to infrastructure maintenance — not a single topic was left without a response. Energy utilities are working to meet business customers where they are and provide valuable information to this audience.

To push the boundaries further on what utilities should communicate, a second survey focused on non-traditional content and messaging that utilities would consider providing to their business customers. Responses included:

• 72% Finding and applying for small business stimulus funds
• 59% How best to serve and help those in your community
• 56% How to protect employees who can’t work from home
• 47% Calming employee fears

With most of the utilities interested in communicating more information regarding small business stimulus funds, Questline Digital Senior Engineer Mike Carter covered key highlights from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

• Up to 100% forgivable loan
• Loan amount up to 2.5 times average monthly operation expenses up to a maximum of $10 million

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program

• Separate program from PPP
• A $10,000 advance is forgivable

Unemployment Insurance Coverage

• An additional $600 per week
• 13 additional weeks of unemployment coverage

Even as crisis communications messages flood customer inboxes, Questline Digital’s performance metrics show that customers want to hear from their energy utility. The open rate for coronavirus-related messages consistently outperforms Questline Digital benchmarks, which demonstrates that these messages are resonating with customers.

Keep your business customers informed and engaged with an eNewsletter solution from Questline Digital.

During this challenging time, it’s critical for your energy utility to proactively communicate with customers to reassure them of your preparedness. On March 25, 2020, Questline Digital President Dave Reim held a town hall forum to review best practices of responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

Using real-life examples from the energy industry, the panelists shared their suggestions for the messaging priorities that utilities should focus on in the weeks ahead. Among other advice, the panelists recommended:

• Be real. Be as transparent and authentic as possible in your communications with every audience.
• Be compassionate. This crisis is very personal for customers (as well as utility employees). Offer assurances that you will be there for them no matter what hardships we face in the coming weeks and months.
• Be consistent. Speak with the same voice, and share the same message, across all of your utility’s communications and marketing channels.
• Be focused. Put other marketing initiatives on hold. Customers have one thing on their mind right now, and they want to know that you share their concern.

Customers want to hear from you. This is a key moment to reinforce their trust in their energy utility. Questline Digital’s performance metrics show that customers are opening emails and paying attention to their energy utility — despite the huge number of crisis messages that are currently flooding inboxes.

Magen Howard, communication and member services manager for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, may have said it best: “Authenticity during a personal and unprecedented crisis is key.”

Matt McDonald, external communications associate at Duquesne Light Company, added that proactive communication is important for “setting the tone” and “leading with heart and exuding confidence.” Through meaningful and authentic content, utilities can serve as partners to their customers in planning their own response to this unprecedented event.

Take this opportunity to reassure them that you will continue to provide safe and reliable power, you will work to protect the health of customers and your employees, and you will help ease the burden of financial challenges caused by this crisis.

Download Questline Digital’s eBook, “How COVID-19 Transformed Customer Communications.”