Utilities Lag Other Industries in Digital Experience, but Standouts are Emerging, J.D. Power Finds
Utilities Lag Other Industries in Digital Experience, but Standouts are Emerging, J.D. Power Finds
Alabama Power Ranks Highest in Inaugural Study
COSTA MESA, Calif., March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Utilities are among the lowest-performing industry groups when it comes to delivering distinct digital customer experiences, but some pioneers have found the secret to digital success, according to the J.D. Power 2018 Utility Digital Experience Study,(SM) released today.
The inaugural study evaluates customer perceptions of the websites, mobile apps, social, chat, email and text functions of the 67 largest electric, natural gas and water utilities in the United States. It is the first-ever J.D. Power customer satisfaction study to incorporate biometric analyses (which tracks eye movements, facial emotions and voice tone), video verbatim interviews and detailed surveying to extract real-world customer perceptions. The study was conducted in collaboration with Centric Digital, a leader in measuring and navigating digital transformations. Centric Digital is contributing an expert assessment to the study, including industry benchmarking, digital experience analysis and cross-industry insights.
"Consumers have grown accustomed to receiving up-to-the-minute alerts on the status of at-home deliveries and being able to make checking account deposits with the cameras on their phones, but interacting with their utilities--whether to check usage, pay a bill or report an outage--often seems like a step back into the dark ages of technology," said Andrew Heath, Senior Director of the Utilities Practice at J.D. Power. "Utilities know this is a problem, and many have put in place initiatives to address it. But, until now, there hasn't been a reliable playbook for what works. By probing deeper than ever before into real-world customer interactions with their utility's digital platform, we've been able to spotlight best practices."
Following are some of the study's key findings:
-- Utilities among lowest-performing industries in digital: When
benchmarked against other consumer-facing industries, utilities deliver
the worst digital experiences. According to the Centric Digital
DIMENSIONS(TM) Score, which evaluates digital proficiency, the utility
industry scores 571 on a 1,000-point scale. The retail sector, by
contrast, scores 771.
-- Standouts are emerging: Though overall utility industry performance is
weak, there is a wide range of performance, with some providers
achieving digital customer satisfaction scores that are in line with top
performers in other industries. The highest-ranked utility in the study,
Alabama Power, has a J.D. Power customer satisfaction score of 879,
which is a significant 40 points higher than industry average.
-- More information in a streamlined format: Top-performing digital utility
platforms, whether delivered via desktop or mobile, all display a great
deal of information, including usage, account information and payment
information, in a streamlined format. The ability to clearly and easily
view usage information is the top driver of a positive website/app
experience, associated with a 43-point improvement in overall customer
satisfaction when delivered.
-- Cross-channel communication remains a challenge: One component of the
overall digital experience that utility brands struggle with the most is
cross-channel communication. Utilities score 345 in the Centric Digital
DIMENSIONS(TM) Score due to major gaps in social media, email, messaging
and customer service capabilities.
Study Rankings
Alabama Power ranks highest in overall satisfaction with a score of 879. SRP (872) ranks second and MidAmerican Energy (870) ranks third. The industry average is 839.
The 2018 Utility Digital Experience Study is based on evaluations from 16,341 customers of the 67 largest electric, natural gas and water utilities. To be included in the study, utilities must serve 540,000 or more customers. The study was fielded in December 2017-January 2018.
For more information about the Utility Digital Experience Study, visit http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-utility-website-evaluation-study.
See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2018032.
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. J.D. Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.
Centric Digital provides industry leading solutions to measure and navigate digital transformation. Powered by proprietary apps Dimensions(TM), Scenarios(TM) and Compass(TM), Centric Digital has benchmarked hundreds of brands, designed multi-year transformation strategies, unlocked and managed $2+b of investment roadmaps. Centric Digital ranked on Inc 5000 fastest growing companies in America list for the last 4 years. Centric Digital is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago & Mendoza.
Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
John Roderick; St. James, N.Y.; 631-584-2200; john@jroderick.com
About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info
Study Rankings
--------------
Overall Index Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)
Alabama Power 879
SRP 872
MidAmerican Energy 870
AEP 866
Atmos Energy 866
Florida Power & Light 865
LG&E-KU 865
PacifiCorp 862
SCANA 862
Vectren 862
KCP&L 861
NV Energy 861
Consumers Energy 857
Westar Energy 855
Georgia Power 853
Southwest Gas 852
Entergy 851
FirstEnergy 849
Duke Energy 848
OG&E 846
CenterPoint Energy 845
Exelon 844
PPL Electric Utilities 844
Spire 844
TECO 844
Eversource Energy 842
Xcel Energy 842
DTE Energy 841
Ameren 840
WEC Energy Group 840
Industry Average 839
National Grid 838
PSE&G 837
Southern California Edison 837
Alliant Energy 836
Piedmont 835
Portland General Electric 835
San Diego Gas & Electric 835
SMUD 833
We Energies 833
Dominion Energy 832
Peoples 832
Columbia Gas 831
NW Natural 831
ONE Gas 830
Puget Sound Energy 830
California Water Service 828
PSEG Long Island 828
Exelon-PHI 827
American Water 826
Aqua America 825
Pacific Gas and Electric 825
CPS Energy 824
Southern California Gas Company 824
Black Hills Energy 823
MDU Resources Group 821
NIPSCO 821
UGI 821
Con Edison 818
Southern Company Gas 817
APS 814
Avangrid 812
L.A. Dept. of Water & Power 802
Washington Gas 791
Suez 790
WSSC 786
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SOURCE J.D. Power
