Clay Electric ranks No. 1 in their segment in J.D. Power study
Press release from Clay Electric
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. is “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Residential Electric Service among Cooperatives,” according to the J.D. Power 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.
This is the first time the co-op has received top honors in the annual national ranking. J.D. Power awards are recognized as the voice of the consumer and are one of the very few earned by receiving high survey scores from a random sample representative of customers.
“Clay Electric employees are the best of the best and make a true difference for our members,” said Clay Electric General Manager/CEO Ricky Davis. “This J.D. Power award is a tangible representation of how our members feel about the cooperative as a whole. I am grateful and humbled by their praise and goodwill.”
The J.D. Power 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 100,999 online interviews conducted from January 2021 through November 2021 among residential customers of the 145 largest electric utility brands across the United States, which represent more than 101 million households. Clay Electric is the 10th largest distribution electric cooperative in the country.
Utility performance was measured in six areas and Clay Electric ranked No. 1 in four of the six factors: price, billing & payment, communications, and customer care. The other areas studied were corporate citizenship and power quality and reliability.
J.D. Power noted the progress of utilities, like Clay Electric, which have navigated a roller coaster economic environment to not only help their local economies, but also communicate more effectively about their programs and activities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Clay Electric lowered the cost of power three times, paused disconnects on past-due accounts, and donated $50,000 to local food banks. Employees have also spent more time volunteering in the community and promoting how the co-op can help its members with bills and energy efficiency.
“Utility customers want to hear about these efforts and, when they do, overall satisfaction is higher,” said John Hazen, managing director of the utility practice at J.D. Power.
Clay Electric’s score shot up 48 points to 822 out of a maximum of 1,000 in 2021 compared to the previous year’s J.D. Power study.
Clay Electric Board of Trustees President Jimmy Wilson credits the co-op’s employees for the strong performance in the study.
“Excellent customer service and member satisfaction is our mission at Clay Electric,” Wilson said. “On behalf of the Board, I extend my deepest appreciation and thanks to the employees for their dedication to our members and the cooperative. We couldn’t be prouder of you and your accomplishments.”
As a GRU customer, I read this and I just want to cry.
They actually care about their customers. What a novel approach! But we are STUCK with GRU which couldn’t care less about customers. It has become the city’s cash cow.
Actually it’s the commission’s cash cow and they aren’t about to give up those teats without a bite… I mean fight.
That’s the way it goes,
‘Cause we all knows,
Who gives Poe,
The best blow,
That’s why he’ll never go,
Other commissioners know,
The best direction to blow.
I love Clay Electric, so glad we have them in our part of Alachua county. And since they’re non-profit they disburse Capital Credits refunds annually. It’s worth leaving Gainesville for them!
The county commission could go some distance toward deflating the Springs County idea if they would get the service area of GRU electric service reduced to the city limits of Gainesville. The people that elect the board of directors for GRU should be the only ones that have to live with the consequences of their bad decisions.
If this doesn’t get GRU customers fired up to demand change, then their wood is wet!
Change happens at the ballot box but that requires that the majority of people vote, not just the vocal minority that is responsible for electing the current city commission. The vocal minority is not impacted by the high cost of living in Gainesville because their incomes are largely independent of the local economy. Therefore they see no problem with their “Do-Gooder” liberal ideas like tying up traffic and downsizing roads.
These people will not change no matter how bad things get. You have to VOTE THEM OUT. VOTE THEM OUT. You have “CHOICES “.