Missouri River Energy Services recently provided details on a Residential Customer Satisfaction Study conducted during the fall of 2025. MRES partnered with GreatBlue Research to conduct the study.
Nine MRES member utilities participated in the study: Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Hillsboro, Brookings, Denison, Sioux Center, Pella, Luverne and Willmar. Customers were invited to complete the survey either through email or paper, making it easy for communities of all sizes to participate.
“This study gives our members the chance to hear directly from the people they serve,” said Valerie Larson-Holmes, MRES director of communications. “Understanding what customers value helps utilities continue improving service and strengthening relationships within their communities.”
The survey asked customers about several key areas, including satisfaction with electric rates, customer service, reliability and interest in programs such as electric vehicles or energy efficiency rebates. It also explored how customers prefer utilities communicate with them during both routine updates and emergency situations.
Through the partnership, MRES coordinated closely with GreatBlue to develop the survey, create marketing materials and support member utilities throughout the process.
GreatBlue handled the survey fielding, data collection and analysis, providing professional third-party research while keeping participation simple for utilities.
The goal is to provide actionable information utilities can use. The results help identify what customers appreciate most, where expectations are changing and how utilities can continue building trust, MRES said.
Now that the surveys are complete, MRES and GreatBlue are meeting with each participating utility through individual meetings to review their results and answer questions.
These conversations allow members to better understand their community’s responses and explore ways to use the insights moving forward, MRES said.
GreatBlue CEO Michael Vigeant also shared an overview of the findings with the MRES board of directors during their March meeting and will present additional insights at the upcoming MRES Annual Meeting in May.
“Customer feedback like this helps utilities see both the big picture and the details within their own communities,” said Larson-Holmes. “It gives our members meaningful information they can use to continue delivering the reliable service their customers expect.”
GreatBlue is a full-service market research firm specializing in custom, in-house quantitative and qualitative research heavily focused on public power utilities and healthcare sector industries providing actionable, data-driven insights for strategic decision-making.
