Struggling with what to do for your small and midsized (SMB) business customers? Well, you’re not alone. But a number of utilities have come up with some innovative approaches for improving engagement with their SMB customers. Get inspired by the creative ideas being implemented to better serve and communicate with this hard-to-reach customer segment.

1. Engaging SMB Customers: Some Really Cool Ideas
Jan Barrett
Manager, Strategic Telephone Outreach
Business Customer Division
E Source Forum 2014
September 29–October 2, 2014

2. 2
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50,000 square-mile service area
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Nearly 14 million residents in service territory - counties of Central, Coastal and Southern California
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Service territory that includes 430 cities and communities with a total customer base of about 4.9 million residential and business customers
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Maintain over 115,000 miles of distribution and transmission lines and 1.5 million electricity poles
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Regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
In 2013, SCE:
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Answered more than 15 million phone calls in 7 languages (plus up to 190 languages through translation services)
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Issued more than 55 million bills
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Processed over 51 million payments
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Collected over $12 billion in revenue
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Achieved 1,156 GWh and 193 MW of energy efficiency savings
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Maintained 1,710 MW of demand response capability
Company Profile
Southern California Edison

3. 3
Segmentation Model Evolution
CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVES
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Customer Care and DSM Needs:
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Frequency of customer care needs and interest in Demand Side Management (DSM) programs
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Complexity of issue resolution and DSM enrollment and fulfillment
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Channel Preferences:
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Type of relationship (from single point of contact to transactional)
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Type of delivery channel (from in-person to self-service)
SCE OBJECTIVES
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Drive Key Business Priorities:
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Achieve DSM goals
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Maintain or improve customer satisfaction in key market segments
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Manage cost to serve
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Limit Business Risks:
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Manage politically sensitive and regulatory intensive customers
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Remain a competitive energy provider within the region
Effective segmentation will rely on identifying and reconciling
the perspectives of business customers and SCE
Foundation
Business Customer Segmentation

4. 4
Segment
Channels
Strategic (S1)
3.000 customers
Strategic with Varying Potential (S2)
2.400 top customers
Basic Needs and Potential (S3)
6.500 customers
Strategic Self-Service (S4)
285,000 customers
IDSM Specialists
Outside Account Managers
Telephone Outreach Managers (TOMs)
CCC
Strategic G, I & Ag
Strategic C & I
Business Solutions
BCD Customer Coordination
Business Customer Education and Operations
Account Management Support and Technical Services
Centers of Expertise
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IDSM
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Lead Generation
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Rate Analysis
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Outage Communications
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Customer Care
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New Construction Services
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Field Engineering
Integration of Sales & Support
Serving Our Customers

5. 5
Business Solutions Overview
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Assigned Customers: 8,600
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Unassigned Customers: 287,000
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Service Accounts: 530,000
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Annual Impact to SCE Business
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18.6 billion kWh – 23% of Total SCE kWh Sales
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$3.04 billion annual revenue – 26% of SCE Total Revenue
•Customers served via three primary channels: Telephone, field, and community outreach:
–Telephone Outreach Managers: Handle customer care issues and prospecting to identify and influence Integrated DSM via phone or email.
–Integrated DSM Specialists: Responsible for field delivery of energy efficiency and demand response programs.
–Energy Efficiency Outreach Team: Promote energy management solutions through partnerships with business, community, and faith-based organizations. Emphasis on working with hard-to-reach customers.

6. 6
Counting on Account Management

7. 7
Transforming Customer Perceptions

8. 8
Price
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Personalized Rate Analysis Letters
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Customer Engagement via Multi-Channel Communication
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Best Practices
Communications
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Social Media
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Account Management
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Business Advisory Panels
Customer Service
•Mobile Apps for Outage
•SCE.com Functionality
•Tablets for Field Account Managers
JD Power Alignment
Best Practice and Initiatives

9. 9
2015 TOU Transition Strategy
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September 2014
TOU Awareness Postcard/Email
October 2014
Rate Analysis Letter / Email
Oct – Dec 2014
Outbound Calling
Jan – Aug 2015
Aftercare
SCE.com/TOU, My Account, Rate Analyzer, Rate Analyzer landing page on SCE.com, Customer Testimonial videos and solutions to help customers with the TOU transition
Events, including energy walks, chamber meetings, business forums and presentations
Agricultural publications and newspapers in Joaquin Valley and Ventura counties and radio sponsorships of live farm reports
Media Campaign
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10. 10
Power Quality and Reliability
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Outage Schools
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Proactive Communication
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Pre- and After Care
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Mobile Apps for Outages
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Targeted Outreach
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Expanded Outage Notification Process
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Best Practices
Corporate Citizenship
•Integrated DSM Programs
•Customer Engagement, Outreach Events and Community Forums
•Involvement in Local Charities and Civic Organizations
JD Power Alignment
Best Practice and Initiatives

11. 11
Outage Communications

12. 12
Serving a Diverse Marketplace

13. 13
Empowered Employees Result in Delighted Customers

14. 14
Account Rep Satisfaction: Key Drivers
61
67
88
147
156
0
50
100
150
Brings Technical Expertise
Addresses Concern Timely
Understands Needs and
Challenges of Business
Resolves Question / Concern
Takes Responsibility
Account Rep Attributes
Impact
% Yes
89%
93%
90%
83%
87%

15. 15
Business Customer Division