Survey shows satisfaction levels remain high
A recent survey showed North Central Electric Cooperative’s satisfaction levels ranked second among Ohio electric cooperatives and exceeded the national utility average by nine points.
Each year, North Central randomly surveys at least 300 of its member-owners. The phone and Internet survey allows the cooperative to gauge trends in customer satisfaction levels and possible shifts in the makeup of membership.
The results show North Central continues to outperform statewide averages in all categories. Approximately 97 percent of North Central members surveyed said they were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the cooperative’s service.
The survey was included as part of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index. Consumers are asked four questions and their responses are ranked on a zero to 100 scale.
North Central finished with a score of 83. Among Ohio’s cooperatives, North Central’s score ranked second.
Together, the Ohio electric cooperatives had an average score of 77, while Touchstone Energy® cooperatives across the country scored an 80. The electric utility industry nationwide had an average score of 74.
“Certainly, we were pleased to see our satisfaction numbers remain high,” North Central General Manager Markus Bryant said. “We were told that nationwide, most energy utilities have seen an erosion in their satisfaction levels as a reflection of the economic downturn coupled with higher rates. While the cost of our power continues to gradually trend upward, we believe members have also taken notice of the investment we are making in our system to maintain reliable service. Our outage statistics in 2009 were near record lows.”
Bryant said the member satisfaction ratings reflect positively on the cooperative’s line crews who strive to build and maintain a reliable electric system plus work quickly to restore power when we have an outage.
“We have a Board of Trustees committed to providing excellent and reliable service, a solid office staff that strives to help members resolve billing issues during these hard economic times and a welltrained member services department that uses available resources to help them find ways to reduce members’ overall energy bill,” Bryant said. “It’s a total team effort.”
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