Customer Experience and Demand Side Management

The way energy and utility providers have done business over the last several decades has changed due to regulatory and consumer demands. Those in regulated markets, as well as retail energy providers in deregulated markets, are expected to help their customers by offering differentiated services.  These services include tools and information designed to assist with regulating their demand and consumption.

Both a strong multi-channel Customer Experience strategy and a Demand Side Management (DSM) business case are critical to managing these drivers.  Simply building strong energy consumption controls and effective rate plans are not enough to bring smart grid project success.

• Are your people equipped with the right information to help customers?
• Can your customer reach you through their preferred channels?
• How will customers know and understand the benefits of using the tools or participating in programs?
• Are the tools and technologies in place to provide a favorable user experience?
• Are customers adequately informed of the available programming, and how to use them, through current methods of communication?
• Are energy and demand reduction goals attainable with current consumption and demand management structure?

“Bridging The Gap” in Customer Experiences

Within the energy and utility industry, the call center function serves as a foundational starting point to deliver a seamless customer experience.  However, there are several other channels that must provide consistent messaging and brand promises to customers, including self-service, social media and field services.  Utilities and Retail Energy Providers have an opportunity to assess their strategic direction as well as overall operation and enabling technologies to assess how they deliver value to the customer.

Now is the time to establish a foundation for the future through the proper mix of new technology, processes and applying the capabilities of your people.

We help organizations deliver an engaging and fulfilling customer experience that does not focus on an individual transaction or moment in time, but emphasizes effortless interactions throughout the entire relationship lifecycle.

Specifically, Bridging the Gap between customer expectation and operational capabilities by:

•    Improving overall customer service and satisfaction
•    For Retail Energy Providers, driving top line revenue via increased customer conversion and retention
•    Rethinking interactions based on customer needs and business realities
•    Translating the brand into an effortless, functional experience
•    Activating and integrating multi-channel capabilities

Effective Demand Side Management

West Monroe Partners helps energy providers design and implement Demand Side Management programs to meet unique utility needs while driving customer adoption of the programs through proactive and effective customer-centric experiences. We deliver effective programs to many electric utilities by helping them to:

• Develop a Demand Side Management business case
• Strategically design communication structure to educate and inform customers and stakeholders
• Design the customer experience: the programs, tools, and benefits to enable customer action that meet the demand goals
• Develop the customer personas and segments that will tailor the demand messages to the right audience while building plans to handle feedback, outreach, and crises
• Create the marketing strategy for demand programs by customer segment
• Manage the partner channels responsible for fulfilling customer orders
• Build a rich multi-channel user experience that allows customers to self-serve and take informed action, on demand, and through their preferred channel of interaction
  Improve and modify programs as needed based on ongoing review of KPIs and goals through a continuous improvement initiative

With a proven approach and strong DSM credentials, West Monroe’s Customer Experience team can help your utility achieve demand goals through the execution of customer programs. Vast service competencies including CRM strategy and implementation, information architecture, ePortal and online development, and customer change management uniquely position West Monroe to assist your utility in maximizing smart grid success.