Chartwell’s Best Practices Awards

This category recognizes innovative communication initiatives designed to improve the customer experience before, during or after an outage event, regardless of size and scope. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to strategic planning, contact centers, web and mobile services, employee training, changes in messaging and streamlining of processes.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Innovation or originality
• Quality of the effort
• Measured results in customer satisfaction related to outage communications
• Operational efficiency gains or savings

This category recognizes initiatives demonstrating excellence or innovation in outage operations practices and procedures that prevent customer outages and/or improve restoration efficiency. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to strategic planning, employee training, dispatch and coordination, improvements in damage assessment procedures or tools, distribution automation and other improvements in systems and technologies.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Innovation or originality
• Quality of the effort
• Measured results in customer satisfaction related to outage duration
• Operational efficiency gains or savings

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction related to billing and/or payment programs. Entries may include, but are not limited to, bill redesign, online bill pay, leveraging data and integration of new technologies.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives designed to improve a utility image or brand, educate customers on issues such as rate cases and safety, increase brand awareness and relay corporate strategy.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality
• Implementation and execution
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program materials
• Effectiveness – measured results in some or all of the above-noted areas or engagement tracking

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction through interactions with customer service representatives via phone, social media, chat or other channels or self-service transactions through the IVR. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to training, systems and technologies.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction via self-service channels such as web, mobile and virtual assistants.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives designed to promote products and services.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality
• Implementation and execution
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program material
• Effectiveness – measured results in some or all of the above-noted areas

This category recognizes initiatives focused on serving customers experiencing vulnerability due to financial or social insecurity. Entries may include, but are not limited to, identification tools, customer/community engagement, leveraging data, and developing assistance programs.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes outstanding creative achievement in short video marketing/communications efforts, such as TV spots or digital pre-roll. Chartwell judges will select the Top 3 entries, and the recipients of the People’s Choice Award will be chosen by EMACS attendees. Winners will receive their trophies at the conference.

Submitted videos should be no more than 1 minute long. Each utility can submit up to two videos. Videos must have been released between January 2022 and May 2023.