Chartwell's Best Practices Awards 2024

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction related to billing and/or payment programs. Entries may include, but are not limited to, bill redesign, online bill pay, leveraging data and integration of new technologies.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction through interactions with customer service professionals via phone, social media, chat, or other channels. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to training, systems, or technologies.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation and originality
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction through digital self-service channels such as web, mobile, chat, or virtual assistants.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives designed to enhance a utility’s image or brand, educate customers on issues, increase brand awareness, promote products and services, and effectively relay corporate strategy.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality
• Implementation and execution
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program material
• Measured results in areas such as engagement tracking, increased brand awareness, customer education, and promotion of products and services

This category recognizes initiatives focused on serving customers experiencing vulnerability due to financial or social insecurity. Entries may include, but are not limited to, identification tools, customer/community engagement, leveraging data, and developing assistance programs.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives, programs or processes focused on improving the business customer experience. Entries may include, but are not limited to customer segmentation, relationship management, products and services, VOC research and strategy, internal organization and process optimization.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort and/or program materials
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives that realize transportation electrification benefits for the utility, its customers, and/or served communities. Entries may include, but are not limited to EV community engagement and marketing, charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, grid integration, multifamily support and inclusion.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Promoting the utility as the EV Trusted Advisor
• Innovative approach and/or solution
• Quality of effort and strategic partnerships
• Measured impact and how it aligns with the utility’s strategic objectives

This category recognizes outstanding creative achievement in short video marketing/communications efforts, such as TV spots or digital pre-roll. Chartwell judges will select the Top 3 entries, and the recipients of the People’s Choice Award will be chosen by EMACS attendees. Winners will receive their trophies at the conference.

Submitted videos should be no more than 1 minute long. Each utility can submit up to two videos. Videos must have been released between January 2022 and May 2023.

Chartwell’s new award for Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership recognizes a North American utility that has undertaken groundbreaking efforts to lead its customers and stakeholders toward the clean energy future, as well as the individuals in executive leadership positions who are driving those initiatives.

• As this award is the highest Chartwell honor, there will only be one award presented in this category each year.

• Since we know a transformational effort takes a village, we request that the sponsoring executive from your utility accept the award on behalf of the utility team’s effort.

• The award entry window has closed. The winning utility will be notified in late June 2024.

The award entry window has closed.

Step 1:  Choose the category to enter.

Entries are limited to two per category per utility. Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2023 and May 2024.

Step 2:  Complete the EMACS Best Practices Awards entry form and attach supporting documents.

Click here to enter the Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership award.

Click here for the People’s Choice Video entry form.

If an entry is submitted by a vendor or consultant, it must be with the utility’s permission and list a contact at the utility.

Submissions require a short summary along with a detailed project description (1,800 words maximum in PDF or Word format) that includes the following:

• • A history of the project/program or effort.
  • Details about the effort including significant dates, major participants and target audience. (Note: Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2023 and May 2024.)
  • The goals and results of the project/program or effort, including how results were measured.
  • The facts and features making the project innovative and unique.
  • How the project meets the criteria for the respective award, as outlined above.
  • The reason it should win the Best Practices Award.

You may upload supporting components along with the submission form, such as print or digital advertisements, video/audio files, social media posts and photographs.

Award entries will become the property of Chartwell Inc. and may be displayed or distributed during EMACS or for Chartwell members on Chartwell’s websites.

The award winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony and will be recognized in subsequent presentations as well as featured articles in Chartwell’s Insight Center. Images and videos of winners may be used in Chartwell promotional material.

Gold winners agree to present on their award-winning projects at EMACS: The Customer Experience Conference in Orlando. Silver and bronze winners agree to present on their efforts during a Chartwell webinar.

Click here to submit your entry.

People’s Choice submissions require a short summary that includes the following:

• • Where the video was played (TV, utility website, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
  • The video’s release date (videos must have been released between January 2023 and May 2024)
  • Goals of the video (brand marketing, program participation, etc.)
  • Viewing statistics

Click here to learn more about the Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership award.

Click here to submit your People’s Choice Video entry.