Essential Utility Customer Service

February 2, 2010 by Jim Linn · Leave a Comment
Filed under: events

Where do gas and electric utility customer service leaders go for professional development? To the AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference and Exposition, of course!

Each year customer service committee members gather to plan a conference of essential content for their peers. In 2010, the AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference and Exposition will be held April 11-14 in Milwaukee, home to We Energies, Integrys, Alliant Energy, Xcel and others. As with every conference, we have quite a line-up of programs and activities.

General sessions will be held in the mornings and geared toward broad utility customer service issues. This year we will have a review of the federal stimulus (ARRA) package from the federal (DOE), state (NASEO) and local perspectives. We will also discuss alternative transportation and smart grid (both gas and electric) and spend an entire morning on social media success in utilities and similar industries. The general sessions will wrap up with a morning on sensational customer service featuring Barbara Burke, author of The Napkin, The Melon and The Monkey on the topic of employee engagement. Check out the complete agenda and run down on the more than 20 breakout sessions where attendees can dig deep into functional area discussions.

Customer Service Executives (defined as vice president or equivalent) will enjoy an afternoon designed specifically for the executive level. These sessions are invitation only. Contact me directly for more information.

The conference prides itself on being held in a relevant exhibition hall where attendees can interact with companies providing the very latest customer service products and services. The exhibit hall is a great venue for networking and discussing sessions as they occur as well as shared experiences. The conference will culminate in a Tuesday evening social event at the Milwaukee Ale House.

If you are an AGA or EEI member and have never attended the Customer Service Conference, make this year your first. If you have joined us in the past don’t miss this year – the content is too rich to pass up. For those who join us every year, we cannot wait to see you in Milwaukee in April!

And, if you are a utility customer service partner, take a close look at the exhibitor and sponsor prospectus and join us for this event.

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Tags: customer service

Recap: 2009 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference – Serving At-Risk Customers

April 14, 2009 by Jim Linn · Leave a Comment
Filed under: events

I just got back from the AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference and Exposition and it was a great success. The clear emphasis of this year’s conference was meeting the needs of at-risk customers. From the opening chairman’s remarks to the closing session, the theme was consistent.

090414cscpanelweb Recap: 2009 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference – Serving At Risk Customers

Commissioner Katrina McMurrian, Florida Public Service Commission, at the podium during the Economic Crisis and its Impact on Customer Service panel. Also included in the panel were: John Caldwell, director, Economics EEI; Thomas Graham, president, Pepco Region; J.R. Kelly, Office of Public Counsel, Florida and member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates; and Tracey Parker, director, Government Relations, EEI.

AGA Chairman, Thomas E. Skains, shared the CEO perspective on the importance of good customer service and clearly articulated the need for a customer service mindset – especially in economically challenging times like the one we face today.

John Caldwell, an EEI economist, provided his perspective on how our economy reached the point it is at today and shared some thoughts on how long our present situation may last.

Throughout the conference, from breakout sessions to general sessions to informal networking, the buzz was on how to engage customers who are newly in danger of being unable to pay their utility bills. The final session profiled We Energies, Integrys and Kansas City Power and Light and their efforts to work with customers in order to keep their energy needs met while providing a means for the customer to cover their financial obligations through payment programs, grants, fuel funds and other creative programs.

The proceedings from the conference are available to attendees (you’ll need your login information) at www.eei.org/meetings-cs. Leave a comment below if you’d like to learn more about the event, or were actually there and want to share your thoughts on the experience.

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