How to Deliver a World-Class Demand Management Program: Lessons from the Field June 24, 2015
Speaker Introductions Robert Duval Senior Director, Program Administration Directs Tech Services, Call Center, Fleet, Safety and Centralized Support for Comverge programs Previously worked at Southern Company (GoodCents Program) and Florida Power and Light Mechanical Engineering Degree from Georgia Tech Julie Prince Manages Centralized Operations Support for programs across the U.S. The Centralized Support team is responsible for dispatching technicians for installs, repairs and removals, technician support, outbound scheduling and 2nd tier customer service Prior to joining Comverge, worked for the Apartment Guide for nearly 13 years with her last role being Product Operations Manager Proud grandmother of new baby grandson Pablo Bauleo, Ph.D Currently the lead of the Load Management and Demand Response programs at Fort Collins Utilities and member of the Advanced Meter Fort Collins Management Team Previously was a Staff Scientist at the Argentinean Atomic Energy Commission Ph.D. in Physics from Buenos Aires University with a specialization in nuclear physics and astrophysics 2
Areas of Focus for Today s Discussion Evaluating program delivery options including outsourcing vs. using local contractors Hiring and training field technicians and call center staff to provide the best possible customer experience Installing seamlessly load control switches or smart thermostats Using scorecards to measure performance Driving safety incidents down to zero Keeping program costs down by improving field service efficiency Program support and customer care Data management 3
Evaluating Vendor Options Use Internal Resources Potentially good option for small programs Hire Local HVAC Contractor(s) Typically know the area and have technical skills Hire a Turnkey Provider Can provide turnkey program services and minimize utility resource needs May not have the time and necessary skill sets required Conflicting priorities, especially in the summer months Outsourcing key customer-facing operation to thirdparty 4
Field Management System Integration Customer Acquisition Measurement and Verification Enrollment System Control Installation Customer Care 5
Technician Hiring Practices Field technicians will be the face of the utility in many cases Need both technical and interpersonal skills Should conduct the following at a minimum: Drug tests Criminal background check DMV Motor Vehicle License check Telephone screening In-person interview Normally want to hire local technicians create jobs in the community 6
Technician Training All technicians should go through a rigorous training session Include classroom training, testing, and field training when possible Many states will require that technicians be licensed Ongoing safety training is a must! Scorecards can be used to track and improve technician performance 7
Customer Feedback/Satisfaction Focus on customer satisfaction is key metric Techs trained in customer service and program details Customer satisfaction surveys Call center surveys Customer complaint resolution process Customer Survey Technician Evaluation Courtesy of Tech Professionalism Work performed in safe manner Responsiveness to Questions Property Care Site Clean-up Max Score= Actual Score= 10 9.8 10 9.8 10 9.8 10 9.8 10 9.8 10 9.8 8
Installation Best Practices Utility branded Vehicles Uniformed employees Standardized process and procedures Locally licensed Customized safety standards by utility/solution State-of-the-art software and field tools GPS tracking/routing in all vehicles Quality control procedures to ensure dependable installations 9
Mobile Field Tools Technicians can manage entire installation process through mobile application Work orders Device commissioning Inventory management Provide direct interface to work order system Work orders closed onsite in realtime provide improves customer satisfaction and efficiency 10
Pre-Installation A/C Inspection Installers should pre-qualify the air conditioning unit before installation begins: Check the age of the AC (a unit too old could disqualify) Checking the outside appearance of the AC for excessively damaged cooling fins missing door panels, overall condition of condenser Checking for a disconnect and its operational condition Checking the line set for leaking oil, Ice or freezing up (freezing is an indicator of low Freon or other problems with the unit) Disqualify units that don t pass inspection 11
Installation Procedures Technicians should do the following: Perform pre-installation inspection Disconnect power from unit A/C must have an outdoor disconnect Install the device and verify operation Commission the device Check communication capability of device Verify device is properly receiving signals and implementing control functions Close out work order and add any relevant notes Provide any leave-behind materials to customer 12
Safety Best Practices The most important aspect of program delivery Create a culture of safety with field technicians Mandatory weekly safety meetings Provide proper equipment, training, and documented procedures Initiate safety programs which reward top performers Driving program (including ride-alongs) will provide huge benefits Smith System is very effective Insurance companies can offer assistance GPS tracking also an effective tool Establish performance metrics Experience Modifier Rate (EMR) Vehicle Incident Rate (per million miles) Speed Violations (from GPS tracking) OSHA Rates Accident Claims Experience Modifier Rate (EMR) 2011 2012 2013 2014 13
Inventory Management Inventory management is through the work management system Inventory should be tracked at both the location level and by disposition Inventory levels should be maintained down to the technician level Pre-assembly of some components will result in a higher quality installation Consider adding whips to control switches in the warehouse 14
Customer Care Centralized Program Support Team can support multiple customers External Utility company (for 3 rd party provider model) Home owner/end user Internal Field Service Supervisor(s) Field Technicians Program Manager Call Center Call volume can be seasonal Increases during control season Increases at start of cooling and heating season (especially for thermostat programs) 15
Centralized Program Support A Centralized Program Support team is critical to successful program operations Typical functions include: Provide support for call center operations (Tier 2 support) Optimized routing and dispatching of technicians Handle same-day service requests (no heat/ac) Primary interface with field technicians Will normally have access to program support tools Customer care system Routing software and tools GPS tracking of vehicles 16
Routing & Dispatching Routing should be done based on the following criteria Appointments vs. non-appointments Age of work order Type of technology and skill set required Minimize drive time for technicians Software systems are available which optimize routes for technicians and should be utilized when possible Consider hiring technicians based on geographic location for large service territories Provide note flags in system to inform technician of special requests 17
Call Center Service Considerations Typical Call center service offerings: Provide Inbound / Outbound Services Tier Two & Transitional Services Operational & Performance Reports Automated Scheduling Applications Appointment Call reminders Automated Sales Process Automated Call Blast Automated Surveys Design & Processing for Customer Satisfaction (optional) Appointment Scheduling BRC & Sales Enrollments Email Support Submission Automated Dispatch Services Management Oversight of Call Center Best Practices Performance metrics are managed on a daily basis through SLA reports, and daily staff meetings Develops and monitors policies and procedures Customer calls are reviewed live on an ad hoc basis for quality Provide subject matter expertise 18
Data Exchanges Customer Data Work Order Data Utility Contractor Standard Reports Data Reconciliation 19
6-24-15 Peak Partners Program Pablo Bauleo, Ph.D.
Disclaimer The City of Fort Collins does not endorse or recommend any commercial product, process, service, or manufacturer. Mention of any specific trade name, trademark, or manufacturer in the following materials are provided for informational purposes only and do not indicate favored status by the City of Fort Collins. Such statements shall not be used for advertising or endorsement purposes and do not represent the views, position, or practices of the City of Fort Collins. 21
Fort Collins Utilities Customers Population about 155,400 Customers: - 70,500+ electric; - 35,000+ water; - 35,000+ wastewater; - 44,000+ storm water Educated community High rental community Median Household Income - $53,359 Persons 18 to 64 years - 71.34% 22
Electric Distribution Utility 1850 miles of distribution lines About 55 square miles Fort Collins Utilities Light & Power Power purchases (wholesale) 61% of our operating cost Demand charges about 40% of power purchases Monthly coincident peak charge (hourly demand) 25 cents from each dollar goes to pay 1 hour of each month 23
Peak Partners Program Design Programs tend to be designed based on a single idea and then try to get customers to adopt it. Square peg in round hole Consider multiple dimensions of customers needs & interests when designing the program (technology, savings, end-use, Wi-Fi/cellular, mobile devices, incentives). The peg is both square and round, just need to find proper the hole 24
Program Planning Know your Customer Base Unclassfied, 5,000 Analytics driven program design AMI data, CIS data Premise segmentation Found premise DR value Medium DR value, 12,000 Low DR value, 17,000 High DR value, 26,000 Match network to premise HVAC/Thermostat Wi-Fi ewh Cellular (3G) HVAC Customer Turnover @ 3-yr ewh 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 25
Peak Partners End Devices Thermostats Dispatch on summer only Single detached homes Low customer turnover Wi-Fi is a good solution Electric water heaters Switches Dispatch year round Multifamily buildings High customer turnover Cellular is a good solution 26
Not just DR, but EE too For HVAC Customers Programmable thermostat Up to 10% of cooling/heating Preloaded schedules to match lifestyles For Electric Water Heater Customers Water Heater pipe insulation Low-Flow showerheads Less chance of running out of hot water Less water use energy savings (>500 kwh/yr.) Water/Wastewater savings (>2400 gallon/yr.) 27
Program Delivery Customer Acquisition Postcard, Direct calls, Website, Social Media, etc. Call Center Outsource vs In-House ( peak season ) Field Services Inventory management & tracking Installation Services Maintenance & Repair Removal & Recycle of Legacy Equipment End Devices Fort Collins choose to have a single provider of all of the above to streamline processes and to increase customer satisfaction 28
Questions? 29
Additional Information California HVAC Contractor & Technician Behavior Study, Phase 2 http://www.calmac.org/publications/hvac_c &T_Behavior_Phase2_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Comverge Website www.comverge.com Fort Collins Peak Partners Program http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/residential/con serve/energy-efficiency/peak-partners/ Speaker Contact Info Robert Duval rcduval@comverge.com Julie Prince jprince@comverge.com Pablo Bauleo, Ph.D PBauleo@fcgov.com 30