White River Electric scores high with members in service satisfaction survey

MEEKER — In October 2008 White River Electric Association conducted a random telephone survey among 300 of its members designed to measure overall satisfaction.
Individual areas of focus included perception of the co-ops performance, member attitudes regarding the environment, energy efficiency, conservation and the use of renewable energy, expectations regarding key co-op functions and demographics.
Results of the survey indicated that 94 percent of the members surveyed felt satisfied with the electric cooperative in the areas listed above; a score regarded as very high in surveys. WREA also scored a 90 percent with the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) which considers itself the voice of the nation’s consumers. The 90 percent is well above the national average of the electric industry, which registered a score of 73 percent.
In the attitudes and perceptions portion of the survey, WREA scored highest in the areas of customer service (98 percent) and courteous and knowledgeable employees (97 percent). Closely following were professional business manner and looking out for the consumer which both received 96 percent ratings.
Community involvement (95 percent), concern for the environment (94 percent), energy efficient programs (93 percent) and supporting renewable energy (90 percent) rounded out the top percentage winners. Members also rated WREA favorably with regards to providing reliable power, good value for the money, and reasonable rates with eight in 10 surveyed being satisfied.
The survey was collected by phone responses from members served by White River Electric and had a margin of error of plus or minus (+/-) approximately 5.6 percent at 95 percent degree of probability.