Thank you for taking our member survey, we read and value all your comments
by General Manager Steve Stroshane
As a cooperative, we are owned by our members and follow democratic principles where members have a voice. Throughout the year, Polk-Burnett creates opportunities for you to share your opinions and feedback. Whether you respond to a survey or social media post, reach out to us by phone or email, stop by our office or visit us at the annual meeting, we are happy to hear from you.
Connecting with you helps us learn what's working and what we can do better to meet your expectations. In my report to you this month, I'd like to share some insights we received from our 2023 member survey, and how we're using this information to plan for a future that aligns with the priorities and needs of our community.
First, a little background about our 2023 member survey:
> 14,085 surveys were emailed to members in December 2023.
> 3,379 members returned a survey (24% response rate).
> 5,367 comments were made by members and read by co-op employees.
I'm happy to announce that Polk-Burnett received high scores on our performance:
> 8.97 on overall satisfaction.
> 8.63 on comparison to ideal utility.
> 8.62 on likelihood to choose Polk-Burnett, if you could.
> 8.53 on exceeding your expectations.
These scores are based on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the highest. We appreciate these high numbers, but more importantly, your trust in us to keep your lights on and continuously improve.
What we learned about your priorities and expectations
The quantitative scores above are important for comparing our performance to past years and other utilities, but even more valuable is the qualitative information you provided in your comments. We read every comment to identify themes and priorities, and we followed up with more than 150 members seeking answers to questions and problems.
Below is information members provided that will guide co-op decisions and actions going forward:
1. Reliable power
I know my power is reliable and that is priceless. Hardly ever an outage and they're always very quickly fixed... No problems, just there in the background, extremely dependable... ...the way it (outage) was handled from communication to restoration was much more impressive that what I experience in the Cities...
Each year, Polk-Burnett invests in grid maintenance and upgrades to ensure reliable electricity. We will continue to make substation improvements, where the flow of electricity can be rerouted and restored quickly in the event of a transmission or substation outage. A new substation is planned for 2025 to serve the growing Farmington and Somerset communities. Members also shared that underground power lines are appreciated, and we will continue to convert overhead lines to underground cable when there is a financial and operational benefit for members.
2. Friendly and knowledgeable customer service
They are easy to contact. They answer their phones. You talk to a real person fast and they are helpful.
We will continue to hire and train employees to exceed your expectations for service, in person, on the phone and online. We're fortunate to employ the area's best people. They are truly dedicated to you, our co-op values and member service.
3. Convenience, efficiency and communication
I love the app! Best thing ever. (You) keep customers updated. I love the outage map, and email or text updates.
Outage texting launched for members in March 2023 with great success! If we have your cell number on your account, we'll text you when your lights go out. If you haven't received a text yet, it's probably because you haven't had an outage. Our goal is to provide you with as much information as possible about the status of an outage.
Members also like our online bill pay, prepay and auto pay options, as well as our SmartHub app. A few of you shared that the app isn't as user friendly as it could be, and we have shared your feedback with the developer. We'll continue to work on ways for you to access service 24/7/365, and we'd be happy to help you enroll in SmartHub or improve your experience if you have questions.
Remember, you can always find information in our Powerlines newsletter and on polkburnett.com. Transparent, honest and timely communication is part of our co-op business model.
We heard that many of you like our co-op business model and annual Capital Credit distribution, that we care about our community and the people in it. From our beginning, we've been member and community focused. We know this is more important to our members today than ever before.
We're also seeing a greater understanding of electricity rates, and the effects of inflation and supply chains on your rates. We know everyone would like lower rates, and we work hard to keep them affordable, but we also have a responsibility to maintain and invest in the grid, so it's reliable for you every day, even when you are not there.
Of course, we did receive some negative feedback on these topics, too. We hear you and thank you for sharing your priorities. Please let us know if we can improve your service or help you find ways to save energy and money. We're listening.
