Chartwell's Best Practices Awards 2025

This award recognizes initiatives that have demonstrated outstanding innovation, efficiency and customer satisfaction in their billing and/or payment programs or processes. Entries may include, but are not limited to, bill redesign to improve clarity and customer understanding, multi-channel payment experiences (e.g., mobile, web, automated phone systems), leveraging data analytics for more personalized billing experiences and integration of new technologies such as AI, automation, or app-related payment services.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives that elevate the overall customer journey by delivering seamless, personalized and impactful experiences across all touchpoints. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to training programs to enhance customer service skills, implementation of new systems or technologies to enhance experiences, proactive customer engagement strategies, frameworks or models, data-driven insights to improve customer interactions, service design improvements for a frictionless experience, customer journey optimization and personalization.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives focused that enhance the digital customer journey by delivering seamless, intuitive, and engaging online experiences demonstrated through measurable improvements in web, mobile, or other digital platforms, leading to increased accessibility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives designed to enhance a utility’s brand image, educate customers, increase brand awareness, promote products and services, and effectively relay communicate corporate strategy.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program materials
• Measured results in areas such as engagement tracking, brand awareness, customer education, and promotion of products and services

This award recognizes initiatives focused on serving customers experiencing vulnerability due to financial or social insecurity. Entries may include, but are not limited to, tools for identifying and serving at-risk customers, community outreach and engagement programs, leveraging data to improve service, and developing assistance programs.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives, programs or processes that improve the business customer experience. Entries may include, but are not limited to customer segmentation and personalized service approaches, relationship management strategies, products and services, VOC research and strategy, internal organization and process optimization.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives that realize transportation electrification benefits for the utility, its customers, and/or served communities. Entries may include, but are not limited to EV community engagement and marketing, charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, grid integration, multifamily support and inclusion.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Promoting the utility as the EV Trusted Advisor
• Innovative approach and/or solution
• Quality of effort and strategic partnerships
• Measured impact and how it aligns with the utility’s strategic objectives

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 2024 and May 2025.

Chartwell’s new award for Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership recognizes a North American utility that has undertaken groundbreaking efforts to lead its customers and stakeholders toward the clean energy future, as well as the individuals in executive leadership positions who are driving those initiatives.

• As this award is the highest Chartwell honor, there will only be one award presented in this category each year.

• Since we know a transformational effort takes a village, we request that the sponsoring executive from your utility accept the award on behalf of the utility team’s effort.

• The inaugural award was presented in 2024 to ATCO Electric at a ceremony during Chartwell’s 27th annual EMACS: The Customer Experience Conference.

(Entry window closed on May 23, 2025) 

Step 1:  Choose the category to enter.

Entries are limited to two per category per utility. Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2024 and May 2025.

Step 2: Prepare to send the necessary items outlined below. 

If an entry is submitted by a vendor or consultant, it must be with the utility’s permission and list a contact at the utility.

EMACS Best Practices Award submissions require a short summary along with a detailed project description that includes the following:

• • A history of the project/program or effort.
  • Details about the effort including significant dates, major participants and target audience. (Note: Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2024 and May 2025.)
  • The goals and results of the project/program or effort, including how results were measured.
  • The facts and features making the project innovative and unique.
  • How the project meets the criteria for the respective award, as outlined above.
  • The reason it should win the Best Practices Award.

You may upload supporting components along with the submission form, such as print or digital advertisements, video/audio files, social media posts and photographs.

Award entries will become the property of Chartwell Inc. and may be displayed or distributed during EMACS or for Chartwell members on Chartwell’s websites.

The award winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony and will be recognized in subsequent presentations as well as featured articles in Chartwell’s Insight Center. Images and videos of winners may be used in Chartwell promotional material.

Gold winners in select categories agree to present on their award-winning projects at EMACS: The Customer Experience Conference. Silver and bronze winners agree to present on their efforts during a Chartwell webinar. All winners agree to participate in a Best Practices Case Study for Chartwell’s Insight Center.

People’s Choice submissions require a short summary that includes the following:

• • Where the video was played (TV, utility website, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
  • The video’s release date (videos must have been released between January 2024 and May 2025)
  • Goals of the video (brand marketing, program participation, etc.)
  • Viewing statistics

Customer Transformational Leadership Award submissions are reviewed by a Chartwell advisory panel of industry experts and veterans and then selected based on criteria outlined in the link below.

Submissions require a detailed description that includes the following:

• A history of the initiative including significant dates, major participants, and target audience.
• The goals and results, including how results were measured.
• The facts and features making the effort innovative and unique.
• How the initiative meets the criteria for the respective award, as outlined in the link below.
• The reason it should win the award.