ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today approved, on a pilot basis, the implementation of a uniform statewide customer satisfaction survey. The creation of a statewide customer satisfaction survey has been a long-stated goal of the Commission to enable the state regulator of utilities to obtain accurate and consistent data for comparison among utilities and to be able to score customers’ satisfaction with their utility’s customer service in an overall consistent manner.

“All major utilities in New York State are required to record and submit to the Commission metrics on customer service, and these metrics are used to rate how effective utilities are at providing customer service,” said Commission Chair John B. Rhodes. “This pilot survey will achieve the Commission’s goal of good customer service by establishing a strong and uniform statewide measurement of customer satisfaction.”

Finding ways to engage consumers to improve utility service is an important element of the state’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, which calls for promoting markets to achieve greater use of advanced energy management products to enhance demand elasticity and efficiencies. These changes, in turn, will empower customers by allowing them more choice in how they manage and consume electricity in their daily lives.

Requiring survey uniformity will enable the Commission to compare and contrast utility performance statewide. The statewide pilot survey approved today will require the major electric and gas utilities to survey customers who have had a recent interaction with the company. The survey will ask customers, among other things, to answer the following question: “Thinking about your most recent interaction with your utility, how satisfied are you?” Customers may choose from the following responses: very satisfied, satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, dissatisfied, and very dissatisfied.

With this order, the Commission directs staff to report on the results of the pilot after one year, including a recommendation for whether to establish the survey on a permanent basis. The Commission’s regulatory jurisdiction extends over New York’s investor-owned utilities, including six major electric/gas utilities with nearly 10 million residential and commercial customers.

The Commission is responsible for overseeing the quality of utility services. The Commission assures service quality in several ways, including the use of performance metrics that are measured by applying utility self-reported data. The survey is important because the Commission can reduce a percentage of the company’s revenues based on poor customer service performance.

During the pilot study period, the utilities would continue their existing customer satisfaction surveys, and to the extent that such surveys are used in measuring customer satisfaction for the purposes of applying each utility’s respective Customer Service Performance Incentive, the existing survey would continue to be used for that purpose.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Numbers 15-M-0566 [Customer Service Performance Indicators]; 16-G-0058 [KeySpan Gas] and 16-G-0059 [Brooklyn Union Gas] in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.