Public power utilities are under growing pressure to do more with less. With fewer staff, tighter budgets, rising customer expectations, and regulatory scrutiny, utilities are also expected to address increasing concerns around customer affordability. Yet many regional and community-based utilities are still relying on reactive, one-way communication strategies that drive call center volume, frustrate customers, and make it difficult to demonstrate service improvements to regulators and governing boards.
In this session, we’ll explore how public power utilities are modernizing customer communications by shifting to proactive, repeatable, and compliant messaging across digital channels, helping customers better understand outages, bills, and usage at a time when affordability and trust matter more than ever. Attendees will learn how reference-based messaging, TCPA controls, and automated outreach for outages, billing, and usage can reduce inbound calls, improve customer satisfaction, and drive measurable customer action without adding operational complexity.
Joining the discussion, Ben Murdock, Utility Analyst at Chartwell, will share benchmarking insights and customer research drawn from Chartwell’s utility and residential consumer surveys. Ben will highlight trends in customer satisfaction, the growing importance of timely and proactive messaging, changing customer expectations around outage communications, and how utilities are using tools like auto-enrollment and post-event surveys to improve the customer experience. The session will also examine what role customers want their utility to play in the future and how clear, timely communication influences perceptions of affordability and value.
This webinar will share real-world examples of how community-owned utilities are using scalable communication platforms to build strategies that stand up to regulatory review, support affordability and rate case narratives, and deliver measurable improvements in customer engagement.
Speakers
- Susan DeClerk, Sr. Product Manager, Convey
- Paul Watkins, Director, Strategic Commercialization & Innovation, Convey
- Ben Murdock, Senior Analyst, Chartwell
Who Should Attend
Customer service leaders, operations managers, communications teams, and IT leaders at public power utilities.
Accreditation
The following continuing education credits will be provided for this Group Internet based event, after successfully completing 90% of the live webinar. Review the guidelines for successful completion in the “Accreditation” dropdown below.
Recommended CEUs .1
Technology Requirements:
Zoom Platform: You’ll need a strong Internet connection to run the Zoom platform. Visit Zoom.us/test to ensure you can join a meeting.
Audio: We recommend using your computer mic/audio to listen to the webinars (alternatively a call-in number will be provided).
Log-In Credentials and Recordings:
Zoom Links: Zoom log-in credentials will be sent 24 hours before the start of the webinar and a reminder will go out one hour before the event.
Recordings: The webinars will be recorded and will automatically be emailed to attendees within a week after the event.
Can't participate in the live webinar? Register anyway to access the recording!
Following the webinar, we’ll email you a link to the presentation and webinar recording to view at your convenience.
Questions?
Membership@PublicPower.org
This is a sponsored educational opportunity.
Accreditation
Earn While You Learn!
Participate in virtual programs to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Requirements for Successful Completion: Virtual
- Registration is for individual access, so each person participating must register. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.
- Individuals are required to attend and actively participate in 90% of each live webinar and complete an online evaluation after the last session in a course.
- Attendance: Individuals must attend at least 90% of each live session (based on electronic timestamps in Zoom).
- Participation: Active participation in class will include engagement activities such as: polling/check-in questions. There will also be a Q&A session.
- Activities vary by class: Information on participation will be provided the day before (and during) class. Participation is tracked electronically.
- Online evaluation: Each person must complete an online evaluation after the course concludes
- Partial credit cannot be given for partial attendance.
- Attendance is monitored by an APPA staff member during the event, through an online report log, and upon review of the post-event evaluation data.
- Completion certificates will be available within two weeks of the last session in a live event (for those who meet the requirements) through your APPA member portal (access instructions will be provided).
- Virtual sessions are recorded (attendees automatically receive access to recordings within a week of the last session), though continuing education credits can only be given for attending live events. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session.
Guidelines for Group Participation in Virtual Events
- If a group is participating in a conference room together, we recommend each person still logs in individually from a laptop to ensure attendance and participation requirements are met (as noted above).
- If individual log in is not possible, the organization must designate one person as the main point of contact. Email Membership@PublicPower.org in advance of the virtual event noting this information
- This person will record attendance in the room (we can provide a sample attendance tracker) and ensure attendance and participation from the group throughout.
- Submit the attendance record to APPA within 2 business days of the conclusion of a virtual event.
- Ensure each person fills out the required online evaluation.
What educational credits are available?
You can earn the following kinds of continuing education credits for attending live sessions — provided the following requirements are met:
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. For information regarding certification status, attendance requirements, and obtaining attendee transcripts, contact Academy@PublicPower.org. Verify our IACET Accreditation.
