More utilities are striving to foster relationships with mid-size business customers through account management programs, specialized call centers, or targeted products and services. As a result, business customer satisfaction has been on the rise.

Chartwell research revealed in its latest research report, Fostering Relationships with Mid-Size Businesses, shows that in 2005, only 19% of utilities surveyed had a program to reach out to mid-size business customers. By 2006, 30% of utilities had such a program. Not coincidentally, at the same time, J.D. Power & Associates electric utility business customer satisfaction rose from 646 in 2004 to 667 in 2006.

According to Fostering Relationships with Mid-Size Businesses, large investor-owned utilities are most likely to have programs for these customers – 27% did in 2005 and 58% did in 2006, according to Chartwell survey data. But astounding growth in these programs occurred among all utility types.

Among the strategies discussed in the report that utilities use to foster relationships with mid-size businesses are:
· Specialized business customer contact centers (or specialized business reps within general customer contact centers).
· Account management programs where utility account managers proactively reach out to mid-size business customers – some are assigned to specific industries or segments, others are not.
· Account management programs (involving assigned or unassigned reps) that are more reactive in nature, however, these reps are more knowledgeable than call center customer service reps.
· Development and specialized marketing of energy efficiency programs specifically for mid-size businesses.
· Web portals for business customers.
· Communication tools such as business newsletters.
· Development of programs for special business customer segments like builders, property managers and trade allies.

The new 114-page report examines these strategies and others in 19 detailed case studies on utilities such as SRP, Florida Power & Light, SMUD, City Public Service, We Energies and others. Many of these utilities attribute improvements in business customer satisfaction scores to their relatively new mid-size business programs.