I like hearing a good word about the work of our cooperative. I also like to hear how we can get better. It’s that information that allows us to make important changes to improve for you.

To continue to provide service that exceeds your expectations, we conduct regular customer service surveys. We want to hear your thoughts on the services we’re providing and where we can improve. Every few years, we dive into deeper conversations with you to get at the heart of ideas that may allow our cooperative to take leaps forward.

In 2015, we conducted a comprehensive audit of our communication program, which includes this publication (JEMCO News), our website (jacksonemc.com), our bill messages and social media channels. Based on that feedback, our communication team made changes to launch an e-news version of JEMCO News and enhance our engagement with you on social media. This summer, our communication team received several national awards for its work on social media, videos, multimedia campaigns and more.

Earlier this year, we conducted another communication audit to hear if those changes from a few years ago have been effective for you and to identify where we can improve. We called and emailed hundreds of you and you told us your thoughts. We asked members to participate in online forums with fellow Jackson EMC members. And, we invited folks to sit in a room with other co-op members and talk about whether we’re communicating effectively.

We learned that JEMCO News and our website are important ways you receive information about the cooperative. Overall, you reported reading more stories in JEMCO News since our last communication audit.

Tips about saving energy and money, guidance on being safe around electricity and stories about community involvement are the things you said you’re most interested to read in JEMCO News. When it comes to the website, you place a very high value on being able to access the information on the website from your smartphone. You also said the navigation on the site could be improved. That insight will help us make changes to the site that will make it more mobile friendly.

We also learned many of you view yourself as a “customer” instead of a “member” of the cooperative. That’s an important distinction. Jackson EMC is a not-for-profit electric cooperative owned by the people who receive electric service, like you. As member-owners, you have unique benefits and opportunities that are not available from companies who have customers simply engaged in transactions. Our research identified this as an opportunity for us to more effectively communicate what makes co-ops different and how you can be engaged in your cooperative.

We’re committed to serving you – the members of Jackson EMC – and exceeding your expectations. We’ve built a strong foundation for the cooperative and we’ll continue to ask you how we’re doing when it comes to communicating effectively with you. We always value your feedback to make your co-op better!

Have feedback about how we communicate with you? Send me an email at [email protected].