Cleco gets a nod from J.D. Power

PINEVILLE — Cleco Power has been ranked second out of 144 electric utilities nationwide by J.D. Power in its second-quarter 2020 Electricity Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study for its communication and response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The study, which consists of questions that measure residential customer satisfaction in multiple areas such as power quality and reliability, was conducted during April- June. J.D. Power added questions about the COVID-19 pandemic to the second-quarter study.
Customers responded to questions about how they have been impacted personally by COVID-19, what their utility has done in response to COVID-19, how they would rank their utility’s response to COVID-19 and how the utility’s response has positively or nega-tively changed their impression of them. Out of over 23,000 national customer responses, Cleco Power customers had the second-highest percent of “more positive” customers.
“This feedback lets us know our customers believe we’re doing the right things,” Cleco Power President Shane Hilton said in a news release. “Since mid-March, Cleco Power has been using multiple external communication platforms, including its website, Facebook page, customer newsletter, as well as TV and radio to keep customers informed of the steps taken to help those experiencing financial hardships during the pandemic, as well as making customers aware of other resources such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Pro-gram.”
On March 13, Cleco Power suspended service disconnects and late fees to assist customers experiencing financial challenges, and on April 15, the company began reimbursing customers the electronic bill payment processing fee charged by a third-party service provider.
Last month, Cleco Power announced a long-term payment plan to help customers pay off prior balances by spreading the total amount over an extended period with no interest.
“Cleco Power’s ranking confirms that we have the resources and experience to navigate any type of crisis, even those we’ve never experienced before,” Hilton said in the release. “We’re proud to share this good news, as we continue working to meet our customers’ needs and exceed their expectations during these unprecedented times.”