1. Using Employee Surveys to Improve Employee & Customer Satisfaction Hugh E. Grunden, President & CEO, Easton Utilities

2. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20072 Overview Easton Utilities Why use a survey How to conduct the survey Impact of using survey

3. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20073 Easton Utilities Maryland’s first municipal utility (1914) Seven business units 10,000+ customers Primarily residential Inflow of new customers

4. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20074 Mission To enhance the quality of life in our community by providing reliable, competitively-priced utility and communications services through skilled, safety- oriented and customer-focused employees.

5. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20075 Our Employees 128 active employees 2 Customer Service teams Diverse backgrounds Members of the community Low turnover

6. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20076 Why we use employee surveys Valuable employee input Buy-in on change Improve morale Forecast weaknesses & threats Improve effectiveness Uniform satisfaction metric The Only Way To Have Satisfied Customers is to Have Satisfied Employees

7. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20077 Key Management Considerations Is management “on board?” What are the objectives? How will you share results? How will you use the information to improve? The Employee Survey is a Tool, Not a Report Card

8. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20078 Key Participant Considerations Opinions clearly heard Appreciation for participation Management commitment to improvement Conducting an employee survey creates employee expectations

9. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 20079 Challenges Easton Utilities Faced Confidentiality Participation Honesty & Accountability Having a thick skin It Takes Courage to Ask Questions that Might Prompt Unpleasant Answers

10. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200710 Survey Process Confidential, mail-in by third-party 45-day process Customize questions Notify employees survey is coming Issue 2 mailings 10 days apart Compile & analyze results Review results and take actions Other tools available (focus groups) The Key to Every Employee Survey is Communicating Results to Participants

11. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200711 Issues Identified by Surveys Management-staff communications Cross-departmental communications Supervisors disenfranchised Personnel problem Written Comments Create a Large Pool of Ideas to Improve and Streamline your Business

12. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200712 Actions Taken as a Result of Survey Time in the Field Program Quarterly Sweeps Supervisors Lunch EU Today (Intranet) Improved computer access for field staff Equipment upgrades

13. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200713 Impact on Employee Satisfaction Communications PI improved dramatically first year (+29 points for supervisors) Empowered & engaged employees Sustained Satisfaction PI over 90% every year Engaged employees work with passion, feel a profound connection to their company, drive innovation and move the organization forward

14. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200714 Impact on Customer Satisfaction Our Competitive Advantage is customer satisfaction Interaction with employees drives customer satisfaction Customers rated their satisfaction with: CSRs94 PI Field Crews98 PI Employees rated themselves92 PI Understanding the issues that stimulate or discourage employees, will help develop a high-quality customer satisfaction culture

15. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200715 Conclusion Success Should Not Be Judged On Numerical Results, but Whether the Findings are a Catalyst for Improvement Employee Satisfaction is a work in progress Acting on employee input is key not just measuring results Satisfied employees satisfy customers

16. Using Employee Surveys ● June 26, 200716 Questions? Hugh E. Grunden President & CEO Easton Utilities 201 N. Washington St. Easton, Maryland 21601 (410) 822-6110 hgrunden@eucmail.com www.eastonutilities.com Dale R. Inkley President SDS Research 420 East South Temple, Suite 390 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 (800) 595-8989 www.sdsresearch.com