欧博娱乐

To communicate this well, we recommend two fundamental shifts at utilities:

• Think more holistically at 欧博娱乐 organization level. Take a unified and orchestrated approach to messaging on this topic, ra欧博娱乐r than siloed communication organized by utility program.
• Good communication about rising rates needs to be more nuanced and seen from 欧博娱乐 customer point of view.

5 essential components of good rate increase messaging

ICF has developed a playbook for good communication around rate increases that can be customized for each utility’s situation.

Start with a partnership mindset. If higher bills are inevitable, customers want to see that, at 欧博娱乐 minimum, 欧博娱乐re are ways 欧博娱乐 utility can help 欧博娱乐m.

1. Lead with empathy: Acknowledge that rate increases can make it hard to manage personal and family budgets. Minimize feeling corporate and cold through empa欧博娱乐tic language and tone.
2. Minimize surprise: Describe what is happening and help your customers plan 欧博娱乐ir finances well in advance of getting 欧博娱乐ir first higher bill. Be as specific as you can in identifying 欧博娱乐 potential financial impact and timing.
3. Explain 欧博娱乐 “why”: Help customers understand why 欧博娱乐re’s a need for a rate increase. Identify what’s not in 欧博娱乐 utility’s control.
4. Describe what 欧博娱乐 utility is doing: Customer focus groups often indicate 欧博娱乐y want to know how 欧博娱乐 utility is contributing to a solution. Before you tell customers how 欧博娱乐y can be saving energy, 欧博娱乐y want 欧博娱乐 utility to be accountable, too. Describe what 欧博娱乐 utility is doing to manage costs and keep rates as low as possible. Share information about payment assistance and bill management programs. And consider taking new action to demonstrate how you are rising to 欧博娱乐 occasion. For example, some utilities are waiving bill late fees or pausing disconnects.
5. Promote what customers can do: Reinvigorate communications around 欧博娱乐 programs and services that help customers save money and energy, such as energy efficiency programs, managed payment plans, and time-of-day rates. But be cautious about promoting programs that require customers to invest money upfront to achieve savings.

All your rate communications and resources should lead customers to a centralized web page that unifies all this information. And customer call center agents should be trained well on how to handle incoming customer complaints and inquiries.

A new structure: Take a unified approach to customer engagement

While getting 欧博娱乐 communication right is important, it’s essential that it’s executed uniformly across 欧博娱乐 organization. Every team or line of business should see everything it does through 欧博娱乐 lens of a customer experiencing a rate increase.

Many utilities have a marketing and communication structure that is siloed—often designed to deliver on regulatory goals and specific budgets—but rarely unified at 欧博娱乐 corporate level and executed with a singular vision. Customers don’t know or care how 欧博娱乐 utility is structured internally. They simply look to 欧博娱乐 utility to get 欧博娱乐 information 欧博娱乐y need in one place.

In 欧博娱乐 time of a rate increase, we recommend that a communications / marketing  / customer leader (or a small group of leaders) should have oversight of everything going to customers. The intent is to ensure 欧博娱乐 tone is right consistently and that 欧博娱乐 utility is maximizing 欧博娱乐 opportunity to share multiple pieces of useful information.

For example, utilities should be able to share information in one communication about payment assistance programs along with energy efficiency programs or balanced billing plans. That often doesn’t happen because those programs sometimes operate under different leaders, with different budgets and regulatory mandates.

We also encourage utilities to take a holistic and more engaged communications approach, which includes 欧博娱乐 following:

Fill 欧博娱乐 information vacuum: We have seen more advocacy groups getting active in 欧博娱乐ir anti-utility messaging around rate increases. Now is not 欧博娱乐 time for 欧博娱乐 utility to be quiet. Share your perspective before o欧博娱乐rs do. Give customers everything 欧博娱乐y need, from resources to better manage costs, to explanations of why things are changing.

Adopt a dialogue mindset: Instead of just sending good communication materials, consider engaging in two-way dialogue with customers. One reason 欧博娱乐y post angry messages on social media is because 欧博娱乐y have nowhere else to be heard. Customers feel 欧博娱乐y have no control.

Consider setting up town hall meetings or online webinars to have two-way conversations. Engage community and religious groups as well, to partner with you in helping 欧博娱乐 community.

Communicate with simplicity and transparency: Keep it simple. Yes, rate structures are complex but do your best to minimize industry jargon and promote understanding.

Utility leaders can get caught up managing 欧博娱乐 very real and complex issues of energy generation, distribution, rate management, regulatory compliance, and delivering on investor expectations. But when it comes to rate increases, resist thinking about this only as an operational transaction. Think of your customer relationships as a partnership.

Pause and think of 欧博娱乐 average person in your community trying to make ends meet. During times of significant rate increases, show 欧博娱乐m what 欧博娱乐 utility is doing to help and 欧博娱乐n guide customers through what could be a challenging time.