CUSTOMER SUCCESS:

Fixed Bill Program

Outcome
CustomerLink gained over 11,000 new customers for our client’s Fixed Bill Program.

The Challenge
To commit existing natural gas customers to a one-year enrollment in a Fixed Gas Bill Program.

The Solution
CustomerLink partnered with a regulated gas utility provider to sell a predetermined, guaranteed billing product to residential and commercial customers. This product allowed consumers to predict their monthly gas bill over the entire length of their contract, regardless of weather and usage.

A direct mail piece was sent to the potential customers, in advance of the program, specifying each customer’s particular fixed cost for the length of a one-year contract. The mail piece was customized further to reflect the potential customer's historic usage for purposes of comparison.

CustomerLink contacted potential customers, educated them on the features and benefits of the program, and enrolled the customers for service. All sales information was forwarded daily to the gas utility provider.

Residential
The majority of customers contacted for the Fixed Bill Program were residential, as is often the case with a campaign of this nature. Because residential customers typically have a shorter sales cycle and receive less complicated product offers, sales representatives discussed the mail piece customers had received, and subsequently encouraged them to sign up for the plan. Customers were motivated mostly by the peace of mind they would feel during the forthcoming long, cold winter; encouraged to enroll by the notion of maintaining a comfortable temperature in their home without upsetting their household budget.

Commercial
The commercial effort differed from the residential effort in both approach and complexity. In order to accommodate the more protracted decision-making process typically evident in commercial programs, CustomerLink devised a multistage approach. On average, three to five calls were necessary to convince commercial customers to enroll. Commercial customers were less motivated by the notion of security and warmth, and more interested in the business efficiency of stabilizing an otherwise unpredictable winter cost of operation.

The Results
CustomerLink enrolled over 11,000 customers for the Fixed Bill Program over a three-month period. This represented a significant increase in the client’s Fixed Bill Program, attaining results well above the client’s target for enrollment.

Residential Total Sales 9,000+ Closing Percent 13.44% Presentations 71,000+ Sales/Hour 1.0

Commercial Total Sales 1,700+ Closing Percent 10.77% Presentations 16,000+ Sales/Hour 0.7