20040325FULLEN Direct PUC Original Scan.pdf

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF IDAHO POWER COMPANY FOR
AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES
AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC SERVICE
TO ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS IN THE STATEOF IDAHO.
CASE NO. IPC-O3-
IDAHO POWER COMPANY
DIRECT TESTIMONY
SUSAN J. FULLEN
Please state your name, address, and present
occupation.
My name is Susan J. Fullen.My business
address is 1221 West Idaho Street, Boise, Idaho.I am
General Manager of Customer Services and Metering for Idaho
Power Company.
What is your educational background?
In 1988 I received a Bachelor of Science in
Management Technology from Lewis-Clark State College, and in
1991 I received a Master of Business Administration from
Portland State University.I am currently enrolled in the
Doctor of Business Administration Program at the University
0 f Phoenix.
Please outline your experience with Idaho
Power Company.
In July 1980,I began my career wi th Idaho
Power Collections Clerk in Hailey,Idaho.Shortly
after that relocated to the Southern Divlsion headquarters
in Twin Falls and became a Customer Service Representative.
In 1982 I was promoted to Customer Service Supervisor in the
Boise Customer Service Department.In 1983, I relocated
back to Twin Falls and was a Customer Service Representative
until 1985 when I was again promoted to Customer Service
Supervi sor .In 1987 I was promoted to Assistant Division
Accounting Manager in the Idaho Power Western Division.
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1991 I was promoted to the Ontario District Manager
posi tion, and in 1992 I was promoted to the Southern
Division Accounting Manager.From November of 1994 through
August of 1995 I was assigned to work on the Distribution
Department reorganization.In September of 1995, I was
promoted to Manager of Energy Services of the Eastern
Region.In 1997, my title was changed to Area Manager
the Southern Region.In 1999, I was promoted to Customer
Services Manager.In 2002, I was promoted to my current
posi tion of General Manager of Customer Services and
Metering.In this position, I oversee the customer care
operations, the customer information system, the billing
processes, including metering, the demand-side management
activities, and the customer relations and research
acti vi ties.I have been active in the Edison Electric
Institute Customer Services Organization, serving as the
Chair for this committee in 2002.
What is the purpose of your testimony in this
proceeding?
I will describe customer service and
community relations ' developments since Idaho Power s last
general rate case.
How have the Company s customer service
operations changed since the last general rate case?
The evolution of technology, improved
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Idaho Power Company
processes wi thin the Company, and the change in customer
lifestyles have required Idaho Power to implement a new
business model that better serves customers.Tha t mode 1
includes changes that are identified as:(1) a move to
centralized customer care transactions,(2) the installation
of a new customer information system,(3) additional paYment
options,(4) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ac ces s to account
information,( 5 ) improved outage management and
communication systems,(6) improved customer service systems
throughout the Company s service territory,(7) demonstrated
performance of our metering and billing systems,( 8)
improved facility siting process,(9) enhancements to
community involvement activities,(10) additional customer
assistance programs,(11) renewed focus on demand-side
managemen t programs,(12) increased use of benchmarking and
performance monitoring, and (13) continual emphasis on
customer satisfaction measurements.I will elaborate on
each of these changes.
Please describe the move to centralized
business transactions.
Prior to the establishment of the Customer
Service Center in 1994, Idaho Power operated with
approximately 31 District Offices.These offices
individually performed customer service functions.Those
functions included taking and processing cash paYments, work
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Idaho Power Company
associated with customer movement, billing, credit and
collections, answering outage and trouble calls, and the
administrative aspects of new construction.Offices
operated Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM. to 5:00 PM with
smaller offices closing at noon.The difficulties with this
type of operation at Idaho Power were:(1) limited office
hours,(2) high operating expenses to maintain the offices,
(3) difficult and costly deploYment of customer service
technology across 31 locations,(4) maintaining consistency
ln operations,(5) multiple phone contacts for customers
needing to conduct business with more than one Idaho Power
district office, and (6) inability to effectively measure
and track performance because of a lack of technology to
capture the data.
In order to address these issues, in 1993 Idaho
Power embarked on a transition to a more centralized
operation beginning with the closing of the Shoshone
district office.This transition continued over several
years and has benefited our customers in a number of ways.
The benefits our customers experience from the new
approach include:(1) expanded full service business office
hours of 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday,(2) a
single phone number for customers in the Treasure Valley and
a toll-free 800 number for customers outside the Treasure
Valley calling area,(3) consistency in service and
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information regarding our policies and procedures, and (4)
prompt service with over 80 percent of our inbound calls
answered wi thin 30 seconds.
The Customer Service Center employs a well-trained
staff with specific customer service skills and uses state
of the art technology.Idaho Power monitors calls for
quali ty and to provide on-going training support to
personnel.All Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) have
defined standard performance expectations.A performance
management system is utilized that provides feedback to
ensure that our customers receive superior customer service.
Idaho Power employs bi-lingual CSRs that provide
native language service to the Company s Spanish-speaking
cus tomers .Addi tionally, we provide an outside language
line service to help Idaho Power communicate with other non-
English speaking customers.
How has Idaho Power s Customer Information
System changed since the last general rate case?
In November of 2000, the Company installed a
new Customer Information System (CIS) that provides many
enhancements for customers as well as improved access to
customer information for our CSRs, thus increasing our
abili ty to be responsive.Bill presentation has been
improved for easier customer understanding.The system is
available nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and
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Idaho Power Company
facilitates the use of self-service technologies such as
Interactive Voice Response Units and integration with the
Internet.Single account number and enhanced rate option
capabili ty, integrated trouble orders, and improved customer
relationship management documentation are now standard.
The new CIS enables the Company to combine service
at multiple locations into one bill for the customer.
Residential and Small General Service accounts can be
combined for Budget Pay purposes.Large General Service
customers can combine all of their commercial services into
one bill.One such customer has over 100 accounts combined
into one bill.
The new system also allows for a summary of all
services to be displayed on the first page of the bill and
for the printing of informative messages to customers
directly on the bill.
Another CIS improvement is the ability to retain
permanent customer records.Now, when a customer is added
to the customer system, his or her information is not
deleted if he or she moves.Should that customer leave
Idaho Power and then subsequently return to our service
territory, his or her previous history can be retrieved.
The system also has the ability to track all
customers having service at a specific premises over time,
or to track every service any specific customer has had on
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our sys tem in the pas t .This increased availability of
information can assist in improving our response time in
communicating with the customer.
Should a cus tomer s bi 11 need to be revi sed or
recalculated, the new system automatically calculates and
prints a new bill, thus avoiding the manual calculations
that were performed in the past.
Also, the new CIS provides customers with the
opportunity to have duplicate bills and notices sent to a
third party of their choice.
Please describe additional paYment options
provided by the Company.
Idaho Power offers various paYment options to
customers including 61 pay stations dispersed throughout the
Idaho service territory, electronic funds transfer,
automatic deduction from the customer s bank account,
internet paYment options, payroent by mail, check by phone,
and credit card payroents.
How has Idaho Power improved retail customer
access to account information?
Idaho Power provides customers with account
information through an Interactive Voice Response Unit
(IVRU) that allows customers to access their account
information nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.The
IVRU provides customers with the capability to make paYment
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Idaho Power Company
arrangements, retrieve billing, payroent, and meter reading
information, sign up for Budget Pay, and access conservation
and usage information.Idaho Power s telephone menu has
been recognized by Enterprise Integration Group as "above
average " for both the utility industry and call center
industry for overall quality, voice quality, information
delivery, user friendliness, and ease of operation.Idaho
Power s telephone menu scores are shown on Exhibi t 51, a
one-page exhibit entitled "Idaho Power Overall Score
Has Idaho Power also improved its outage
management and communication systems?
Yes.Ten years ago Idaho Power s outage
management system was not an integrated system.
consisted of separate dispatch centers with limited
telephone lines and limited use of technology to convey
information.Al though 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
coverage was available, it was often staffed by only one
person with multiple urgent activities to respond to while
keeping the electrical distribution system operational.The
ability to provide relevant customer information was limited
until additional help arrived.Idaho Power had no system to
contact customers prior to a planned outage, and very little
technology to identify an outage location unless customers
called to tell us they were out of service.Today, Idaho
Power provides 24 hour a day, 7 days a week coverage for
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outage calls.The IVRU provides up to date information for
up to 144 customers simultaneously.In case of unplanned
outages, the Company has at least one customer service
specialist available at all times (along with dispatch
personnel), a monitoring system that notifies the Company of
outages, and a state of the art outage management system
that identifies outages by locations.Addi tionally, there
is an outbound calling system to inform customers of planned
outages prior to their occurrence.
Among 75 utili ties, Idaho Power was ranked tenth in
the nation in a 2003 national survey conducted by J. D.
Powers and Associates in the outage notification category.
Exhibit 52, a one-page exhibit entitled "Providing Outage
Information - Top Rated Utilities , shows the ratings for
the top-rated utili ties in this category.
How does Idaho Power provide customer service
outside of the Customer Service Center?
Idaho Power has operation centers throughout
the service territory to build, operate, and maintain its
transmission and distribution facilities.These centers are
open Monday through Friday for general business acti vi ties
primarily related to the lines operations.
Idaho Power manages its operations to respond to
emergency situations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is
staffed at designated locations throughout the service
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terri tory to ensure quick response, as well as a presence
wi thin the communi ties it serves.
As stated earlier, Idaho Power provides 61 pay
stations serving 37 communities throughout the Idaho service
terri tory to receive cash payments.In addition, each of
the operation centers has a drop box available for check
money order payments.The operation centers also provide
assistance to customers (via a direct telephone line to our
customer service center) for most customer inquiries, and
can direct customers to the appropriate personnel for other
inquiries.
Idaho Power also has representatives staffed locally
within the regions to accommodate customers at their home or
business.Personal assistance is available for customers in
all rate classes regarding billing inquiries, energy
efficiency programs, power quality, and other inquiries best
accommodated through face-to-face communication.
Collection and service connection acti vi ties are
performed out of the regional offices, and personnel are
available 24 hours a day to respond to these requests.
addition, meter reading activities allow for personal
interaction at the customer I s premises.Idaho Power strives
to provide information to all its employees in order to
respond to customers ' inquiries through any of these
interactions.
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Idaho Power Company
Large industrial and commercial customers have a
dedicated representative who actively manages their
accounts.The representative is charged with ensuring that
these customers are aware of any planned outages and changes
to their service.
How well are your metering and billing
systems performing?
Idaho Power s systems are performing very
well.Even though our service territory is more rural than
most, the Company cost per meter read is comparable to the
EEl average (see Exhibit 53 entitled "Cost Per Meter Read"
) .
The Company s meter reading accuracy rate is 99.8 percent.
Addi tionally, Idaho Power's system-estimated meter reads,
corrected meter reads, and meter reread requests are minimal
as indicated by Exhibit 54, entitled "Meter Reading
Quali ty
" .
In addition to the direct customer service
activities previously described, has Idaho Power made
improvements in the way it interacts with the communities it
serves?
Yes.The Company has implemented an improved
facility siting process, it maintains an active community
relations program, and provides substantial corporate and
employee contributions of both time and money.
Please describe Idaho Power s improved
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distribution and transmission facility siting process.
In 2002, Idaho Power substantially revised
its new distribution and transmission facility siting
process to more actively promote community participation and
gather public input.The primary obj ecti ves of this process
are to develop, publish, and share long range plans with
jurisdictional authorities and customers in order to foster
an understanding of the facilities needed to meet
electricity needs, to purchase substation sites, and to
acquire transmission rights in advance of the need and
before physical development in a given area overtakes our
abili ty to economically provide necessary infrastructure.
The overall goal is to ensure that we provide the needed
infrastructure in a timely fashion and in a manner that is
compatible with community needs.
How else is Idaho Power involved wi th the
communities it serves?
Idaho Power continues to work with our
communi ties and to encourage employee participation in local
acti vi ties.Idaho Power has five community relations
representatives and five community education representatives
dedicated to working with the communities and schools to:
(1) educate the public on energy usage, electrical safety,
hydroelectric relicensing, and rate-related issues,(2) plan
and manage growth, and (3) to promote the local economies.
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Idaho Power Company
In addition, Idaho Power contributed over $640,000
in 2002 to community, civic, health, educational , and other
non-profit organizations.These contributions are mad~ on
behalf of our shareholders and are not part of our current
rate request.
The Company s employees are among the most giving in
the region in both time and contributions.Idaho Power
employees, families, and friends have a major impact in
volunteering with several community proj ects and they have
set the standard for several events.Idaho Power employees
have consistently raised the most money per employee for
Idaho Public TV and have had the highest employee
participation rate for years.Company employees have raised
the most money for the American Heart Association Heart Walk
for 2002 and 2003.Idaho Power established a Boise citywide
record in 2002 with Rake Up Boise, a program of the
Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., by raking 45 yards of
senior citizens.Idaho Power has also provided energy boxes
to the more than 600 homes of senior citizens whose yards
were raked.The energy boxes contained a florescent light
bulb, an energy calculator and information on efficient use
0 f energy.
Company employees tied the record at four homes in
2003 for most homes painted as part of Paint the Town, a
program of the Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., which
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Idaho Power Company
paints the homes of economically disadvantaged senior
citizens and disabled persons.Idaho Power also
participates in similar paint proj ects in pocatello and in
Malheur County, Oregon.
In November and December, employees participate in
Take a Turkey to Work Day " which distributes turkeys, hams,
and other food items to the Idaho Food Bank and other food
distribution agencies throughout Idaho Power's service area.
Idaho Power employees also participate in numerous civic and
communi ty organizations, Chamber of Commerce events,
scouting groups, and fund raisers.
What has Idaho Power Company done to assist
low-income customers?
Idaho Power has actively promoted and managed
the collection of contributions from customers for Proj ect
Share and has made direct corporate contributions in the
amount of $25,000 per year from 1999 through 2003 as well as
an extra $100,000 was contributed during the recent high
energy cost years.In addition, for each dollar that is
collected via customer contributions, Idaho Power adds 10
percent to that amount for Salvation Army Project Share
administrative costs.Our regulatory department has
informed me that proj ect Share contributions are not part of
the Company s rate request.
In addition to Project Share, Idaho Power has spent
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Idaho Power Company
approximately $252,000 per year for Idaho s Low Income
Weatherization Assistance (LIWA) program since 1989.Like
the proj ect Share Program, these funds were also
supplemented during the energy crisis.LIWA expenses are
included in existing rates and continue to be included in
the current rate request.Besides its assistance to low-
income families, LIWA activities provide conservation
benefits to all customers and the Company.
Please describe the Company s efforts in the
area of conservation or demand-side management (DSM) since
1994.
Idaho Power has been engaged in some form
DSM activities since the last general rate case, although
the emphasis, delivery mechanisms, and rate recovery have
changed throughout the decade.
In the early 1990s, deferred accounting was used for
conservation programs and they initially appeared on the
utility s books as regulatory assets.Recovery of DSM
expenditures was deferred until regulatory authorization to
begin amortizing the accumulated balances could be obtained
and appropriate rates could be put into effect.
At first, annual expenditures for energy efficiency
rose steadily from $1.9 million in 1990 to a peak of $6.
million in 1994.Please see Exhibit 55 for a summary of DSM
spending from 1990 to 2002.In the last half of the decade,
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Idaho Power Company
when it appeared that deregulation and increased competition
might jeopardize the recovery of regulatory assets, the
Company, with Commission approval, began winding down the
tradi tional Company-administered DSM programs, and instead
joined the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) to
promote regional market transformation.Annual expendi tures
for energy efficiency activities declined to $1.6 million by
2000.
However, then came the California energy crisis that
had dramatic ripple effects throughout the west including
extraordinarily high wholesale market prices in 2000 and
2001.One of the reactions to these high energy prices was
a renewed focus on DSM activities.In 2002, the Company,
wi th Commission approval, established the Energy Efficiency
Advisory Group (EEAG) and implemented the Energy Efficiency
Rider that exists today.The rider is Schedule 91 of the
Company s Idaho Tariffs.
Since 2002, in addition to its continued
participation in the NEEA , the Company has worked closely
with the EEAG in reestablishing a broader portfolio of DSM
activities at Idaho Power.Material progress has been made.
The Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) and the Energy Star
room air-conditioning pilot program have been successfully
completed.Ongoing energy efficiency programs for
residential customers includes the air-conditioner cycling
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pilot program, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) CFL
packets, BPA Energy Check-ups, and BPA Super Good
Cents/Energy Star manufactured homes incentives.Idaho
Power s ongoing commercial programs are the school building
operator training initiative conducted in partnership with
the Northwest Building Operators Association and Air Care
Plus Program, which is a Heating, Ventilating, and Air
Conditioning Efficiency Program.We are currently
implementing new programs for irrigation efficiency and for
industrial efficiency.Additionally, we have a new
residential construction program, a new commercial program
for both existing and new construction, and a BPA program
for multi-family construction in the planning stages.
What is the purpose of the Northwest Energy
Efficiency Alliance and how does it benefit Idaho Power
customers?
Idaho Power was one of the founders of the
NEEA and has been a funder and an active participant since
it's inception in 1997.NEEA I S mission is to catalyze the
Northwest marketplace to embrace energy efficient products
and services.This mission is accomplished through a
portfolio of projects that works to generate financial
return for consumers in the region by encouraging the
acceptance of energy-efficient products and services in the
marketplace.This acceptance, in turn, will transform
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markets in the region so that consumers purchase these
products as a normal part of their buying habits.
The primary benefit to Idaho Power customers is low-
cost electricity savings.In 2002 alone, the NEEA has saved
45 average megawatts (aMW) in the region at a cost of about
a penny per kilowatt-hour.NEEA estimates that Idaho Power
customers have saved about 3 aMW of this energy.The
savings have come about through the availability of more
energy-efficient products in Idaho stores, through the
adoption of newer efficient technologies and through
education of customers on the ways to be more efficient.
The following are examples of benefits provided to
our customers over the past year facilitated by the
coordination between NEEA-supported proj ects and Idaho
Power.
Compact fluorescent light bulb sales from the
coupon promotion with local retailers totaled 42,642 (as of
February 2003) We expect approximately 2.8 million
kilowatt-hours saved each year for utility customers.
The year 2002 closed with a market
penetration of ENERGY STAR clothes washers of 27.52 percent
in the state of Idaho, up from 11.47 percent during first
quarter 2001.
In November 2002, the Northwest Building
Operators Association launched a Level l training series for
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Building Operator Certification in partnership with Idaho
Power.As a result, 27 school operators were certified from
25 school districts within the Idaho Power service
terri tory.The estimated savings from these 25 school
districts is 750,000 kilowatt-hours annually.
One NEEA measure, termed "commissioning , is
the act of providing documented confirmation that building
systems function in compliance with design criterion.
incorporating commissioning into the construction of the Ada
County Courthouse project in downtown Boise, the project is
expected to use 20-30 percent less energy than if it had
moved ahead without commissioning.The measure is saving
about 460,000 kilowatt-hours per year at the 340,000 square-
foot building.
The 2000 International Energy Code, which
includes the International Energy Conservation Code, was
adopted in the state of Idaho in March 2002.NEEA
contributed to this process through funding of liaison work,
city and county education, and training for architects,
engineers, and inspectors.Estimated additional costs to
the residential sector will be $12.5 million, with a return-
on-investment of $20.5 million in energy savings.On the
non-residential side, the additional cost of $713,000 will
result in $4.3 million in energy savings.
Woodgrain Millwork, with plants in Fruitland
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Idaho Power Company
and Nampa, has launched a complete motor inventory of their
more than 500 motors and replaced some with energy efficient
models.The replacement of just one 250 horsepower motor
with a higher efficiency model has resulted in an annual
electric savings of $600 a year for the company.The
potential savings of upgrading the efficiency of the 500
motors as they fail is $300,000 a year.
Henggeler Packaging in Fruitland, Henningsen
in Twin Falls, and Idacold Storage in Nampa are saving over
a million kilowatt-hours a year because of variable
frequency drive installations in their fruit and cold
storage facilities.That translates to about $50,000
annually for these companies.
The city of Emmett, Idaho is saving over
$37,000 a year in net operations costs at its wastewater
treatment plant because of efficiency improvements
insti tuted there by BacGen.
Idaho also benefits from the NEEA's research into
new innovative products and services.In addition, the NEEA
brings together regional energy efficiency players in a
collaborative effort so that ideas and methods can be
shared.The NEEA provides a background and structure for
Idaho Power to implement local delivery programs so that
Idaho Power can bring DSM programs to customers faster and
largely developed.
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Idaho Power Company
Idaho Power continues to actively participate on the
NEEA Board and will be evaluating continued participation
once the present term expires in 2004.
Is Idaho Power participating in other
conservation activities?
The Company has participated in Bonneville
Power Administration s Conservation and Renewables Discount
since 2001.This program will deploy $525,600 annually for
programs targeted to Idaho low-income residential customers
through 2006.
How does DSM fit into the Company s planning
process?
The Company has submitted its 2002 Integrated
Resource Plan (IRP) that identifies demand-side resources as
a part of the overall resource portfolio.The 2002 IRP
viewed demand-side activities as an alternative to help
address future system deficiencies.At the same time, the
document cautioned that conservation and demand-side
measures must be carefully targeted to cost-effectively
address the projected deficits due to the nature and timing
of the proj ected peak deficits and transmission overloads.
Idaho Power is actively engaged in the development
of its 2004 IRP.It is my understanding, from discussions
with Mr. Gale and Mr. Said, that this 2004 process will
place a greater emphasis on a more collaborative approach
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Idaho Power Company
than has been the case in recent IRP efforts.The process
change is driven by the changing energy environment and by
Commission direction.It is also my understanding that DSM
activities will be evaluated and integrated with supply-side
activities in the 2004 IRP.
What is Idaho Power Company s corporate
position with respect to conservation or DSM?
In light of the changes in our industry, and
the political, and regulatory landscape, Idaho Power has
developed a new policy direction for demand-side management.
This policy focuses on four core values:(1) customer
efficiency and satisfaction,(2) resource planning and
acquisi tion,(3) environmental ethics and stewardship, and
(4) responsibility to all stakeholders.Idaho Power will
pursue a balanced approach to DSM program selection that
reflects these four core values.
I s the Company truly commi t ted to pursuing
that goal?
Yes.I have fully reviewed our DSM
activities and plans with senior management and have the
complete support of Mr. Keen and the rest of the Idaho
Power's executive management team.
Does Idaho Power conduct benchmarking wi th
other utilities and measure its customer service
performance?
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Idaho Power Company
Yes.Idaho Power actively moni tors its
Customer Service Key Performance to ensure that excellent
customer service is provided.One key performance indicator
is "Automated Call Distribution" Service Level.Exhibi t 56
shows Idaho Power s performance in this area.Exhibit 57 is
a "Call Handle Time Comparison " between Idaho Power and the
2002 average of EEl-surveyed companies.Exhibi t 58,
entitled "Call Volume , is a breakdown of the number of
calls handled by the customer service interactive voice
response (CSIVR) unit, the outage interactive voice response
(Outage IVR) unit, and customer service representatives
calls (CSR calls)
The customer care operation also benchmarks with
peer utilities by utilizing the Edison Electric Institute
DataSource Tool, which provides operating data from
energy companies across the nation.This data indicates
that the Company performs at a level comparable with or
above our peers.A comprehensive breakdown of all of Idaho
Power's benchmark statistics, that indicate how the Company
performs in the areas of customer calls and billing and
paYment statistics, is included in my workpapers.
Does Idaho Power survey its customers for
levels of customer satisfaction and, if so, what are the
results of those surveys?
Yes, it does.Idaho Power relies primarily
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on two studies for customer satisfaction measurement.Idaho
Power has contracted with Burke Customer Satisfaction
Associates (CSA) to conduct quarterly customer relationship
surveys since 1995.In addition to the Burke CSA surveys,
Idaho Power acquires the resul ts of the annual J. D. Powers
and Associates Electric Utility Residential Customer
Satisfaction Study.The J. D. Powers and Associates study is
used primarily as a benchmark to other electric utilities.
During the 2000-2001 energy crisis, Idaho Power
satisfaction levels dropped in tandem with those of other
western utilities.Upon implementation of the Company s new
business model, Idaho Power began to experience improved
customer satisfaction ratings from all customer segments.
Idaho Power s customer satisfaction has steadily improved
since 2001 and Idaho Power is hoping to exceed pre-energy
crisis satisfaction levels.
Idaho Power s primary measure for customer
satisfaction in the Burke CSA surveys is the Customer
Relationship Index (CRI).The CRI encompasses responses
from all customer segments to five questions related to
overall satisfaction, overall quality, overall value,
likelihood to recommend, and Idaho Power s caring.Burke
CSA's most recent survey results show Idaho Power s CRI at
82 percent which indicates a higher level of satisfaction
than at any other time since Burke CSA has been conducting
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Idaho Power Company
surveys for Idaho Power.According to this report, not only
has Idaho Power improved its customer satisfaction level in
every customer segment, but Idaho Power is also approaching
customer satisfaction levels of what Burke CSA considers a
Superior Performing Firm See Exhibit 59, which includes
a "Summary of Overall Measures and Customer Relationship
Index for Idaho Power " and "Strength of Customer
Satisfaction
" .
In addition to the Burke CSA studies, J. D. Powers
and Associates also surveys Idaho Power customers in its
annual Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction
Study.In 1999, Idaho Power was ranked second in the nation
and tied for first in the western region in the J. D. Powers
and Associates ' customer satisfaction study.In the 2002
study, Idaho Power was reclassified as a medium-sized
utility along with eighteen other utilities that have
between 250,000 and 400,000 residential customers.The 2003
survey results indicate that Idaho Power rated eighth in the
nation in the medium-sized utility group and was first among
northwest utili ties.(See Exhibit 60).The 2 003 J. D .
Powers and Associates study shows Idaho Power providing
significantly high levels of customer satisfaction in the
areas of Customer Service, Billing and Payment Options,
Power Quality and Reliability (especially regarding keeping
customers informed about an outage), Company Image, and
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Idaho Power Company
Price and Value.Idaho Power is pleased with our current
customer satisfaction performance and remains committed
providing superior service to our customers.
Does this conclude your direct testimony
this case?
Yes, it does.
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Idaho Power Company