UMC Customer and Public Relations 3

Question 1

A utility's call center experiences a spike in calls after a major main break. Which strategy BEST manages customer expectations during this event?

Accepted Answer

Activate an automated outage hotline with status updates every 30 minutes

Answer

Put customers on hold indefinitely without an update

Answer

Close the call center to avoid overwhelm

Answer

Direct all calls to voicemail and return them after repairs

Question 2

Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a utility's customer service department?

Accepted Answer

First Contact Resolution (FCR) rate

Answer

Number of employees per shift

Answer

Total number of calls received

Answer

Average hold music duration

Question 3

A low-income customer cannot pay their water bill and faces disconnection. Which utility program MOST directly addresses this situation?

Accepted Answer

Low-Income Customer Assistance Program (CAP)

Answer

Tiered rate structure for high-volume users

Answer

Budget billing for large commercial accounts

Answer

Demand-side management incentive

Question 4

A utility issues a boil-water advisory. Which communication channel should be used FIRST to ensure the fastest broad reach?

Accepted Answer

Emergency alert system (EAS) broadcast

Answer

Quarterly newsletter mailing

Answer

Posting a flyer at utility headquarters

Answer

Annual customer report

Question 5

A utility's public relations team wants to increase customer satisfaction scores. Which action is LEAST likely to achieve this goal?

Accepted Answer

Increasing connection fees without notice

Answer

Extending customer service hours

Answer

Publishing clear bill explanations

Answer

Launching a proactive outage communication program

Question 6

When a news reporter calls about a pipeline leak, who should be the utility's designated spokesperson?

Accepted Answer

The designated Public Information Officer (PIO) or communications director

Answer

Any available field technician

Answer

The on-call repair crew supervisor

Answer

An anonymous source within the utility

Question 7

A customer submits a service complaint online and receives no response for two weeks. This MOST likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

A gap in the utility's complaint tracking and follow-up process

Answer

The complaint was resolved automatically

Answer

The complaint was frivolous and not worth addressing

Answer

The online system is a suggestion box, not a complaint portal