Survey Says: Results are IN!

Tombigbee recently participated in the National Survey on the Cooperative Difference sponsored by Touchstone Energy Cooperative. The purpose of this survey is to gather members’ opinions on the cooperative difference and to get a good picture of how we can improve in different areas. These surveys are completed over a handful of weeks either by phone or email. Touchstone provides the results in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Nationally, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives scored a 73 on the ACSI scale. The average score of other electric cooperatives was also a 73. The top municipal utility scored a 75 on the ACSI scale. How did Tombigbee do?

Tombigbee scored an 84 on the ACSI scale!

We are thankful for those of you who took the time to partake in the survey. We appreciate all the positive and constructive feedback. There are many areas in which we hope to improve over 2023. This survey and your answers will help us know where to focus. We plan to address more statistics from the survey in coming issues of Alabama Living.

One of the first questions asked is if the participant considers themselves a member/owner or a customer of the cooperative. Nationally, 42% of cooperative participants consider themselves a member/owner while 58% consider themselves a customer. Tombigbee member/owners consider themselves a customer 68% of the time, while just 32% claim their member/owner role. Both Tombigbee and nationally, the younger demographic is more likely to consider themselves a customer while the older generation is more likely to identify as a member/owner.

What is the difference between a member owner and a customer? As someone who receives electricity from an electric cooperative, you are a member/owner of the cooperative. This means you have a voice! Each year, we in- clude a ballot in our July issue of Alabama Living to allow you to vote in the director election. Tombigbee also gives their member/owners a credit for participating. Cooperatives also keep their members/owners at the center of their decisions. For example, Tombigbee knew our area of northwest Alabama needed access to a high speed, fiber internet connection. We created Tombigbee Communications in hopes of successfully transforming and improving the lives of our member/owners. We were honored to extend this to others who live in our area as well!

Overall, it is critical for our members to understand–you are much more than a customer to us! We deeply appreciate all our members and their support of their cooperative. We hope to improve this statistic by next year. It is proven that those who identify as a member/owner of the cooperative feel more connected and have a better experience with their cooperative.

Look for more findings from our survey in the next several issues of this magazine.