ATLANTA, May 25, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- EMACS 2006, the Energy Marketing and Customer Service Conference to be held October 3-6 in greater Chicago, will feature a keynote presentation from world-renowned customer satisfaction expert Claes Fornell, who is responsible for the development and design of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), conference organizer Chartwell Inc. announced today.
EMACS is the leading networking forum for utility professionals seeking to gain a better understanding of customer contact and communications issues facing their industry. In addition to Fornell, attendees will hear from utility executives who will discuss the balance between achieving customer satisfaction and containing costs at their utilities, take part in several discussion forums and attend an array of best-practices case study presentations during the three-day event.
Fornell is chairman and founder of the CFI Group, the Donald C. Cook Professor of Business Administration and director of the National Quality Research Center (NQRC) at the University of Michigan. The author of more than 60 articles and books, he will discuss how customer satisfaction translates into higher company value.
The ACSI, a well-known measure of consumer attitudes, is produced by the Stephen M. Ross Business School at the University of Michigan in partnership with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and CFI Group. The ACSI ranks various industries, including utilities.
"Today's utilities are faced with business challenges that require nothing short of a balancing act," says L. Dennis Smith, vice president, Chartwell Inc. and EMACS conference chair. "Utilities must meet increasing consumer expectations, while at the same time reduce operational costs. EMACS 2006 will spotlight the ways in which leading utilities are maintaining this balance with new technologies, employee training and innovation.
"Each year we strive to make EMACS the top educational opportunity and networking forum for customer service and marketing professionals by providing unparalleled content, and with presenters such as Professor Fornell as well as others from within the industry, this year's conference will be no different," Smith adds.
EMACS 2006 sponsors include MasterCard, the Official Platinum Sponsor, and EnergyBiz magazine, the Official Sponsoring Publication. Host utilities will be Exelon-ComEd, Nicor and Ameren, which, combined, serve most of Illinois with electric and gas distribution.
EMACS presentations cut through the hype and offer real-life, case study examples of customer care and marketing initiatives, the successes and pitfalls. Roundtables and panel discussions encourage interaction and learning through idea-sharing and collaboration.
EMACS is organized annually by Chartwell Inc., the leading provider of unbiased utility business information and case studies on customer service, and a committee of utility advisors. For more information or to register for EMACS, visit www.emacsconference.com or call (404) 237-9099. Contact Bill Grist at bgrist@chartwellinc.com for exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities.