Member Satisfaction Survey Update

Every other year, Cullman Electric Cooperative surveys its members to measure their satisfaction with the co-op’s service. The answers provide the board of trustees, management and employees valuable information about how well the co-op runs, areas it can improve member service, and how it compares to other utilities and businesses across the country.

 

American Consumer Satisfaction Index

In our most recent survey, conducted last fall, Cullman EC scored 87 on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. ACSI is a great tool for businesses because it uses the same questions to measure consumer satisfaction for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the country. Not only can we see how Cullman EC compares to other electric utilities, we can see how our members view the co-op compared to some other national brand-names that have a reputation for providing excellent service.

 

Cooperative Attitude and Performance Score

A component we added to our member survey starting in 2019 is called the Cooperative Attitude and Performance Score (CAPS). The CAPS questions help measure how co-op members perceive the culture at their electric cooperative. Is the co-op trustworthy? Is the co-op well managed? Does the co-op truly care about its members? Cullman EC scored 90 out of a possible 100 on its CAPS score, improving one point from our initial 2019 CAPS score of 89.

Here are some other fun facts and figures from our 2021 satisfaction survey

 

• Half of Cullman EC members listed online, email or text message as their preferred method of communication with the co-op.

 

• For outage communication, most members still prefer a phone call (63%), but that number was down from 2019, while text message (24%) and online/email (13%) both increased.

 

• 69% of Cullman EC members used a digital device (computer, tablet or smartphone) to interact with Cullman EC multiple times each month — a significant increase from the 47% in 2019. Members who never or less than once a month use their computer or smartphone to interact with Cullman EC dropped from 53% in 2019 to 31%.

• Interest in electric vehicles is slowly growing. Two years ago, 90% of members surveyed said they had no plans to purchase an EV in the future, but this time almost 30% of members surveyed said they either currently own an EV or would consider purchasing one in the next 3 to 5 years.

 

• We found a similar trend in smart home products. 58%% of those surveyed said they have purchased or have plans to purchase smart home devices. The most popular items were smart home security devices (Ring doorbells and other wireless cameras), smart lightbulbs and smart thermostats. Learn more about these devices here. 

 

• Don’t assume that a growing interest in high-tech products is a result of younger co-op members participating in the survey. 65% of those who participated were age 55 or older, and the primary occupation listed for all survey respondents was retiree.