Customers responded positively to Cuivre River’s 22nd annual Member Satisfaction Survey.The survey was conducted this spring and shows that reliability (48 percent) and affordability (45 percent) compete for the top spot as the most important service qualities.Environmental qualities remain in third place as the top concern for the remaining 7 percent of members responding.“We are responding to survey comments and working to improve the way we help members understand how they use energy,” said Manager of Communications Mary Jane Clark, who coordinates the annual survey project.“Work also is ongoing to help members become more aware of our long-standing efforts to balance affordability and reliability with environmental concerns,” she said. “All three are important.”When asked how Cuivre River’s rates compare with other utilities, 82 percent said their rates were average to below average. Regarding reliability, 94 percent responded their service was “very reliable,” one of the highest ratings in any survey in the past 22 years.The 2017 survey was conducted by Inside Information, an independent research organization in Smithville. The project sought opinions from a randomly selected group of residential members by using a hybrid strategy to obtain responses by phone and online.Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percent and a 95 percent probability.In addition to electric service attributes, the survey assessed member satisfaction and perceptions of the cooperative’s performance in several other areas.The survey was composed of 20 questions, including four questions developed for the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) that focused on the following attributes members rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the ideal score: Overall satisfaction, 9.07; Meeting expectations, 8.67; Ideal utility company, 8.90; and Would choose Cuivre River, 9.21Cuivre River achieved an overall American Customer Satisfaction Index of 88, among the highest scores in the country. The American Customer Satisfaction Index is one of several benchmarks included in the Cuivre River’s annual survey project that provides a unique opportunity to compare Cuivre River to other utilities, as well as other industries.Other high ratings were for courteous and professional employees (90 percent), Giving money back (86 percent) and Prompt outage response (86 percent).About four in 10 members contacted the cooperative during the past year; 98 percent said employees were responsive to their concerns.Efforts to help members learn to manage energy costs were rated 6 out of 10, indicating there is room for improvement.Members also responded to questions about how the cooperative provides information, including the Current Times/Rural Missouri, website use and the MyCuivreApp and media preferences.“Member satisfaction is paramount,” said General Manager/CEO Doug Tracy. “We work for the members, and answer to them for the way we conduct their business.“As a cooperative, we exist to serve our members’ needs and work to meet or exceed their expectations,” he said. “Our first priority every day is to do it well, and with gratitude for their support.”To learn more about the Annual Member Satisfaction Survey project contact Clark, 800-392-3709, ext. 4830, or email mjclark@cuivre.com.To learn more about the American Customer Satisfaction Index and other industry scores visit www.theacsi.org.Cuivre River Electric