Large business customers desire energy reliability, effective emergency communications, and trustworthiness

OUC, WEC Energy Group, and FPL take top spots in Business Customer Satisfaction Study

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- E Source is pleased to announce the results of the E Source 2023 Business Customer Satisfaction Study. The company surveyed large business customers to discover the utility attributes they value most as well as where their utility ranks on those attributes. The survey uses a 10-point scale, where 1 is the lowest score and 10 is the highest. Among nine attributes, large business customers selected three as most important for a utility to possess:

• Energy reliability
• Effective emergency communications
• Trustworthiness

E Source Market Research conducts the annual Business Customer Satisfaction Study to provide utilities and account representatives with direct feedback from large business customers. The survey produces an understanding of the overall satisfaction levels and identifies where improvement is essential. Over 600 large business customers participated in the 15th edition of the study, which revealed the top-ranked utilities in 2023.

Of the participating utilities, OUC earned the top spot, receiving a score of 9.50 out of 10 for overall customer satisfaction and perceived value. OUC also scored highly in providing reliable energy, being trustworthy, and effectively communicating during emergencies. In addition, the utility's account reps earned the highest scores in five of seven account rep attributes, including communicating in a professional and courteous manner and being trustworthy.

"OUC's continued dedication to providing exceptional customer service focused on both reliability and innovation is what makes us the number one partner of choice for our business customers," says Linda Ferrone, chief customer and marketing officer at OUC. "We value the trust our customers have placed in us, and we will continue to deliver on that trust with enhanced outstanding customer communication and service." 

WEC Energy Group earned second place in the large business study. The utility earned high marks in trustworthiness, being easy to do business with, and effective emergency communications. WEC Energy Group earned an average score of 9.30 out of 10 for overall satisfaction and perceived value.

"This recognition speaks to our core values of providing customers safe, reliable, and affordable energy while also highlighting our commitment to customer service," says Greg Smedema, manager of key accounts at WEC Energy. "Our strong partnerships with our customers are the result of long-standing relationships built on communication and trust."

In third place, FPL scored highly in energy reliability, effective emergency communications, and trustworthiness. Large business customers gave the utility an overall satisfaction and perceived value score of 8.93 out of 10.

"At Florida Power & Light Company, we have a relentless commitment to excellence, and pride ourselves on consistently delivering exceptional customer service," says Leonard Roberts, director of major and governmental accounts at FPL. "This includes establishing trusted partnerships with our large business customers to uniquely understand what matters most so we can find even better ways to serve them year-round. While we don't serve customers for awards, we are grateful for this recognition and will always work to improve satisfaction and communication with all of our customers."

"Large business customers continue to rate reliable energy, effective emergency communications, and trustworthiness as the most important attributes a utility can possess," says Daniel Doutre, lead analyst, E Source Market Research. "We'd like to congratulate the top utilities in the large business study for their focus on these same attributes and wish them continued success into the future."

Members of the E Source Account Management Service will be able to access the complete study results, while utility participants that aren't members of this service may purchase aggregate results separately. Contact E Source to learn more.

About E Source

E Source blends industry-leading research, predictive data science, and solution services to help utilities make better decisions to support their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. With a data-first approach and a commitment to practical innovation, we use more than three decades of utility-focused experience and our unique solution set to help clients achieve their goal of becoming a Sustainable Utility. E Source is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with offices across the US.

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC