Consumers Energy Equitably Restructures Card Payments

Consumers Energy implemented a per-transaction card fee in October 2023 for customers making credit or debit card payments. The decision was driven by the intent to provide a fair cost distribution between residential and non-residential customers choosing to pay via card versus fee-free payments. Join this session to learn how Consumers Energy has achieved significant cost savings and removed fee-based cost burdens from low and moderate-income customers. Additionally, through proactive communications, Consumers Energy has successfully converted 70% of customers from autopay via card to checking or savings account. According to Consumers Energy, the utility’s efforts have not adversely impacted arrears, write-offs, or the overall customer experience and has generated zero customer complaints. This effort earned Chartwell’s Gold Best Practices Award in the category of Billing and Payment Programs this year.

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Speaker:

• Brian Lewis, Executive Director of Customer Operations, Consumers Energy

Brian leads Customer Operations within Customer Experience and Technology.  In this role he supports customer experience delivery within our contact centers, complaints resolution team, and direct payment offices.  He also owns most of the meter to cash processing, revenue operations, energy assistance and our digital channels.  Prior to joining CMS Energy, Brian spent twelve years in various customer experience and operations positions at Meijer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and The Auto Club Group (AAA). Brian holds a BS from Central Michigan University in Business with a Service Sector concentration.  He also served as Combat Medical Specialist and Medical Laboratory Specialist in the US Army.  After growing up in southeast Michigan, he now calls Rockford, in West Michigan, home along with his wife and two children.  He has a passion for ensuring that both customers and coworkers are represented and cared for.

 

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