Case Study — Tracking Customer Satisfaction Amid Economic Changes

Objectives

Bellomy aimed to assess customer satisfaction with utility pricing and billing by adding three specific attributes to its proprietary tracking study in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to understand the impact of economic factors on customer perceptions across the United States.

Bellomy Approach

Bellomy’s Utility Benchmarking Study surveyed customers nationwide to evaluate satisfaction with pricing and billing practices, particularly in the context of broader economic changes.

Outcomes and Insights

Satisfaction Trends

Satisfaction with pricing and billing dropped significantly in 2022 across all three assessed attributes. This decline coincided with a peak in inflation, which reached 8% that year. Although satisfaction levels have been rising over the past two years, they have not yet returned to the levels seen in 2020.

Economic Influence

The study highlighted the importance of considering not only utility rate changes but also the influence of global economic and political factors on customer satisfaction. These broader impacts play a crucial role in shaping customer perceptions and satisfaction.

Strategic Implications

By understanding these broader economic influences, utilities can better inform their marketing and communication strategies regarding price changes. This insight allows for more effective messaging that considers customer sensitivities and expectations.

Bellomy Market Research graph, Utilities Satisfaction for Consumer Insights to Navigate the Future of Utilities

return to Consumer Insights to Navigate the Future of Utilities

Social Research for Energy and Utility Companies

Gaining valuable insights from social research

Hearing directly from your customers provides valuable insights. Social research and social media listening are some of the quickest ways to gather authentic accounts of service and product experiences from your consumers.

Social Research

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