Utility Contact Center Conference
Cutting Costs While Creating a Customer Centric Contact Center
April 3-4, 2017 | Tucson, AZ
Overview
Major advances in technology, combined with advances in the ease of access and information-sharing, have created a consumer whose expectations of customer service have increased dramatically. Further, research has shown that proactive and timely communications with customers is critical to customer satisfaction. With developments like smart phones, social media, mobile connectivity, cloud technology, big data, and speech analytics, energy companies have more opportunities to enhance the customer experience than ever before and this starts in the contact center. The calls that come into a utility contact center are much different today than they were even a few years ago.
Creating a customer centric culture in your contact center is equally as important as advances in technology. Call centers increasingly understand the importance of providing excellent service to their customers and are adopting a customer-centric approach as a result. Having the right people in place will ensure your customers feel valued and in turn can reduce operating costs. To go from a fast, efficient transaction handling universe to creating a customer-centric operation and changing the agent mindset, requires a radical change in the contact center’s entire culture. Utilities can reduce their cost-per-call in the contact center by improving the process of hiring, training and coaching of agents.
At this conference, utility and industry professionals will share their innovative strategies for enlisting technology and putting the right people in place to improve customer satisfaction and lower costs. Attendees will take away additional knowledge and resources required to implement effective solutions in your utility contact center in order to accommodate the customer of today and the future. Attendees will learn best practices, keep up with the latest developments, and enjoy networking with industry peers.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain what is necessary to build a customer centric contact center
- Discuss how to train agents to make the customer feel valued and offer solutions that prevent future phone contacts
- Explain how to overcome significant challenges to transform both the customer and employee experience
- Demonstrate how to move to a virtual outsourced call center
- Identify the skills and behaviors to look for in the candidate selection process
- Discuss obstacles to effective training programs and review real methods for overcoming them
- Discuss how using seasonal representatives has lowered the average speed of answer
- Critique the business and political processes and factors entering into a decision process
Credits
EUCI has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this accreditation, EUCI has demonstrated that it complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice. As a result of their Authorized Provider status, EUCI is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.
EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this conference and 0.3 CEUs for the workshop.
Requirements for Successful Completion of Program
Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the conference to be eligible for continuing education credit.
Instructional Methods
Case Studies, Panel Discussions and PowerPoint presentations
Agenda
Monday, April 3, 2017
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. :: Registration
5:15 – 6:15 p.m. :: Networking Reception
Tuesday, April 4, 2016
7:45 – 8:15 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Networking Break
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. :: Group luncheon
4:30 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns
Workshop
Promoting Utility Programs and Services in the Contact Center
Monday, April 3, 2017
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 11:45 a.m. :: Workshop timing
Overview
A contact center is one of the most important touch points a utility has with its customer, especially during the new connect process. Customer service has become more important than ever for energy and utility providers. All it takes is one bad experience or instance of poor service for a customer to spread negative publicity via social media and the internet. By having a good experience, a customer is much more likely to consider additional utility offerings.
3Degrees works in partnership with many utilities and their contact centers to help promote various programs and brings lessons learned along the way. In this workshop, we will cover how utilities can promote and upsell their programs and services during conversations the contact center staff has with customers while still meeting customer, staff, and regulatory needs. Attendees will take away additional knowledge and resources required to implement effective solutions in order to accommodate the customer of today and the future.
Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss techniques that contact center staff can use to upsell utility programs and services
- Discuss different methods to engage all call center staff
- Apply lessons learned in order to meet customer, staff and regulatory needs
- Explain how to overcome challenging phone calls to transform both the customer and employee experience
- Discuss the technology and methodology used in today’s world to improve customer satisfaction
Agenda:
- What kinds of programs and options should be covered in a new connect process?
- What are the pros and cons of dedicating a special team of experts versus training a full call center?
- Tools, technology and methodology for increasing customer acquisition
- Appropriate incentives
- Training for customer acquisition basics
- Tips to keep top performers and bottom performers engaged over the long term
- Common challenges and how to address
Presenters:
Stasia Brownell, Senior Manager, Utility Partnerships, 3Degrees
Ms. Brownell joined 3Degrees in 2008 to provide support to utilities in offering voluntary renewable energy and carbon offset programs to customers. In that time, she has worked on campaigns which have enrolled many tens of thousands of customers including working closely with multiple utility call centers. Her work with utility call centers spans utility owned and outsourced; union and non-union; inbound and outbound. With each, she has designed and delivered training and helped to create incentive structures for call center representatives unique to each call center’s culture, regulatory environment, and utility goals. Her clients, Pacific Power & Rocky Mountain Power, won an award from the Center for Resource Solutions for their approach to educating customers who call into their call center. Ms. Brownell has a B.A. in Communications from Portland State University where she focused on Media Literacy and minored in Black Studies. She has a Professional Certification from the Direct Marketing Association in email marketing.
Speakers
Tashonda Betts, Contact Center Manager, Tucson Electric Power
Chris Bond, Senior Consultant, User Experience, optimalCX solutions, LLC.
Renee Cazzell, Quality Performance Instructor III, Arizona Public Service (invited)
Chris Clark, Director of Fraud, Risk and Compliance, Neustar
Dennis Crumb, President, optimalCX solutions, LLC.
Cindy Dossett, Performance Assurance Manager, Vectren
Jorge Esparza, Training & Knowledge Supervisor, Call Center, PNM Resources
Jane French, Director – Customer Operations, EPCOR Water
Todd Gladden, CWPP, VP – US Operations, Planmen Consultancy, LLC
Mandi Lesher, Consumer Services Manager, Intermountain Rural Electric Association
Ryan Mundy, Quality Assurance Manager, Southern California Edison
Maureen Russolo, Vice President, E Source
Pete Slease, Principal Advisor, CEB
Denise Smith, Director of Customer Care and Experience, Tucson Electric Power Co.
Location
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort
10000 N. Oracle Road
Tucson AZ 85704
To reserve your room, please call 1-800-325-7832
Please indicate that you are with the EUCI group to receive the group rate.
Reservations may also be made online at https://secure.hilton.com/en/hi/res/choose_dates.jhtml?hotel=TUSHTHH&spec_plan=EUCI
Room Rate:
The room rate is $209.00 single or double plus applicable taxes.
Room Block Dates:
A room block has been reserved for the nights of April 2 – 3, 2017.
Rate Available Until:
Make your reservations prior to March 2, 2017. There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early.
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