Three-hundred BREC members rated the performance of their cooperative in an attitude survey conducted last fall. For the first time in recent memory, the survey showed marked improvement in a number of categories.

The survey was done last September as part of a statewide customer perception research project conducted by the firm Strategic Marketing & Research, under contract to Buckeye Power, Inc. Each of Ohio’s 25 distribution co-ops were involved, and 7,500 telephone interviews were completed.

In a nutshell, 68 percent of the BREC members who participated in the survey said they were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied.” This overall satisfaction rating is the highest we’ve ever achieved.

Net improvement from the last survey was 18 percent! To say we were happy with these results is an understatement.

The survey respondents gave BREC higher marks in power reliability and customer service. They noted fewer power outages and faster response time to restore outages. They also said it took less time to resolve problems or obtain information.

In many of the attribute performance comparisons, BREC doubled its 2003 and 2004 survey scores. In one category, the survey asked if BREC was doing a good job of holding down costs. Three times as many respondents strongly agreed and said it was important to them.

Although members who were surveyed recognized that the price they paid for power was higher in 2006 than in 2003 or 2004, they believed electricity was a good value for the money by a 2:1 ratio.

Results of the survey were presented to the Board of Trustees by Teresa Staats of Buckeye Power, Inc., the G&T owned by Ohio’s electric distribution co-ops. Employee meetings were later held to go over the findings.

Everyone’s first reaction was to clap and shake hands in self-congratulation. However, it is too early to let a small measure of success mask the fact that room remains for improvement.

One way to look at the results is to note the 32 percent of survey respondents who were “somewhat” or “very” dissatisfied with BREC. What these members think and how we can meet their satisfaction expectations is critical. Their criticism is just as important as other members’ praise.

It is likely that those who rated BREC unsatisfactory in some areas also felt we had done a better job in other categories. To presume that each of the members surveyed was either negative or positive would be an over-simplification. What the survey results really show is a clear acknowledgment by our members that we are trying to make a difference. We might not have exceeded the bar yet, but we are getting closer.

It is heartening to know that our improvement efforts are yielding results. Our goal is to continue in the same direction, seeking to further reduce outages and meet our members’ expectations.