Are your meetings online or in person?

Meeting are held both in person and online. If you're unable to join us in person, all conference sessions are offered via Webex. Most webinars are recorded, so that if you can't attend live, you can listen to the recording later. See schedule above for links to register for each session. You can test or pre-install the Webex addon by clicking this link https://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

Will I get documents to take home?

We run paperless meetings. Paper copies of documents are not handed out. We distribute meeting materials through our website and e-mail.

Can I bring my laptop?

You are welcome to bring your laptop to our meetings, in fact, we encourage it. You can follow along on your computer and you can stay in touch with work.

What is the dress code?

Dress code is business casual, appropriate to the location and the outings we might take for dinner and extracurricular activities.

2026 Customer Service Insights Conference

Detroit, Michigan July 13-16, 2026

Join us in Detroit...

We look forward to welcoming you to Detroit for the Customer Service Insights Conference. Connect with utility leaders from across North America, exchange ideas with peers, and gain practical insights to help strengthen customer service operations and performance.

When:
July 13-16, 2026

Where:
The Henry by Marriott
300 Town Center Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126

How:
Review the schedule below and follow the links provided to register for sessions, complimentary meals, and to book your hotel room.

Registration

We invite you to register using the link below, whether you will be attending in person or participating virtually.

Your timely registration is essential for accurate planning, as meals and event space are allocated on confirmed attendance.

Conference Registration →

Hotel Room Block

We encourage you to reserve your room through our conference room block at The Henry by Marriott.

Staying at the host hotel keeps you close to all conference activities and provides convenient access to networking opportunities.

Hotel Reservations →

CLICK ON THE SESSIONS BELOW TO REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE

Tuesday, July 14th

Wednesday, July 15th

Thursday, July 16th

10:00 am - 11:00am

Introduction, Statistics, Financials, & Staffing

11:15am - 12:00pm

Training KPls with Derrick Gautney from Lakeland Electric

12:15pm - 1:00pm

Customer Satisfaction and Affordability

2:00pm - 2:45pm

eBill & Paperless Adoption with Zenobia Grace from DTE Energy

3:00pm - 3:30pm

Metering

3:30pm - 4:00pm

Field Service

4:00pm - 4:30pm

Safety

10:00am - 11:15am

Contact Center & First Contact Resolution

11:30am - 12:15pm

Call Recipes with Mandy Federspiel from Consumers Energy

12:30pm - 1:00pm

Self Service

2:00pm - 2:45pm

eBill/ePay Conversion with Stan Williams from Ameren Services

3:00pm - 3:30pm

Billing

3:30pm - 4:00pm

Payment

4:00pm - 4:30pm

Outage Communications

10:00am - 11:00am

Credit & Collections

11:15am - 12:00pm

Key Accounts with Derrick Gautney from Lakeland Electric

12:15pm - 12:45pm

Revenue Protection

12:45pm - 1:00pm

CS IT - Information Technology

2:00pm - 2:30pm

Key Accounts

2:30pm - 3:00pm

Energy Efficiency

Utility Leader Presentations

We’re excited to announce the utility leaders who will share practical strategies, lessons learned, and real-world experiences from their organizations at our upcoming Customer Service Insights Conference. We hope you will join us – in person or online – for these engaging sessions.

Training with Purpose: Measuring Growth, Driving Performance

Tuesday, July 14 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Presenter: Derrick Gautney, Energy and Business Manager, Customer Service, Lakeland Electric

Session Summary
Learn how Lakeland Electric approaches employee development as a strategic investment. Derrick will share how the utility combines technical and professional training, measures employee growth through tracked training hours, and aligns workforce development with safety, compliance, operational excellence, and organizational performance.

About the Presenter
Derrick Gautney is the Energy and Business Manager of Customer Service at Lakeland Electric, Florida's third-largest municipally owned electric utility. With more than a decade of private-sector leadership experience, Derrick leads initiatives focused on customer service, energy management, and continuous improvement. A decorated Army veteran and lifelong Lakeland resident, he is passionate about developing employees and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Growing eBill Adoption While Enhancing the Customer Experience

Tuesday, July 14 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET

Presenter: Zenobia Grace, MBA, Marketing Program Manager, DTE Energy

Session Summary

Discover how DTE Energy is increasing eBill and paperless enrollment while maintaining a positive customer experience. This session explores customer segmentation, targeted outreach, contact center support, lessons learned, and future initiatives designed to drive digital adoption while minimizing customer complaints.

About the Presenter

Zenobia Grace is a Marketing Program Manager at DTE Energy with more than 25 years of experience in customer experience, billing operations, digital transformation, and enterprise project leadership. She leads DTE's customer billing portfolio serving more than 1.9 million customers and specializes in customer journey optimization, digital innovation, and data-driven strategies that improve customer engagement and business performance.

Call Recipes: Standardizing the Call Handling Approach

Wednesday, July 15 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM ET

Presenter: Mandy Federspiel, Consumers Energy

Session Summary

Consumers Energy will share how its Call Recipes initiative is creating a more consistent and efficient customer service experience. Learn about the project's implementation, see a demonstration of the solution, hear lessons learned, and explore how standardized call handling is improving both customer experience and operational performance.

About the Presenter

Mandy Federspiel has more than 20 years of experience with Consumers Energy, primarily supporting Contact Center operations. She leads the Process, Communications & Technology team, overseeing the Knowledge Tool, process standards for call handling, and communications. Mandy holds a Master of Science in Administration (MSA) in Leadership from Central Michigan University and is passionate about process excellence, knowledge management, and continuous improvement of the customer experience.

Digital Billing Adoption Through Data-Driven Customer Engagement

Wednesday, July 15 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET

Presenters: Stan Williams, Principal Data Scientist; Jessica Hoog, Communications Specialist; and Kess Arnold, Graphic Design Specialist – Ameren

Session Summary

Utilities continue to face rising costs associated with paper billing, making digital enrollment a strategic priority. In this session, Ameren will share how its cross-functional team is using predictive analytics, customer communications, and targeted marketing strategies to improve eBill adoption. Attendees will learn how machine learning models, customer segmentation, email testing, and data-driven messaging have significantly increased email engagement while providing valuable insights into what motivates customers to enroll in paperless billing. The session will also discuss lessons learned and how Ameren continues refining its approach to maximize customer engagement.

About the Presenters

Stan Williams is a Principal Data Scientist at Ameren with more than 10 years of experience applying mathematics, statistics, computer science, and machine learning to customer and operational analytics. He specializes in predictive modeling, experimental design, and advanced analytics that support data-driven decision making.

Jessica Hoog is a Communications Specialist at Ameren with more than 10 years of experience developing customer communications across billing, email, web, and print channels. She focuses on creating clear, consistent messaging that helps customers better understand utility programs and services while supporting broader customer engagement initiatives.

Kess Arnold is a Graphic Design Specialist on Ameren's Communications team, where she creates both print and digital communications. With 10 years of design experience, she specializes in designing and coding customer email campaigns and developing visual communications that enhance customer engagement and support effective messaging.

Quality Over Quantity: The Key Account Management Advantage

Thursday, July 16 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Presenter: Derrick Gautney, Energy and Business Manager, Customer Service, Lakeland Electric

Session Summary

Learn how Lakeland Electric strategically focuses its Key Account Management resources on customers who benefit most from dedicated support. Derrick will discuss how this targeted approach strengthens customer relationships, improves responsiveness, maximizes organizational resources, and creates long-term value for both customers and the utility.

About the Presenter

Derrick Gautney is the Energy and Business Manager of Customer Service at Lakeland Electric, Florida's third-largest municipally owned electric utility. With more than a decade of private-sector leadership experience, Derrick leads initiatives focused on customer service, energy management, and continuous improvement. A decorated Army veteran and lifelong Lakeland resident, he is passionate about developing employees and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

2026 Customer Service Insights Conference

Detroit, Michigan​​ July 13-16, 2026

Join us in Detroit...

We look forward to welcoming you to Detroit for the Customer Service Insights Conference. Connect with utility leaders from across North America, exchange ideas with peers, and gain practical insights to help strengthen customer service operations and performance.

When: July 13-16, 2026 Where: The Henry by Marriott 300 Town Center Drive Dearborn, MI 48126 How: Review the schedule below and follow the links provided to register for sessions, complimentary meals, and to book your hotel room.

Registration

We invite you to register using the link below, whether you will be attending in person or participating virtually. Your timely registration is essential for accurate planning, as meals and event space are allocated on confirmed attendance.

Hotel Room Block

We encourage you to reserve your room through our conference room block at The Henry by Marriott. Staying at the host hotel keeps you close to all conference activities and provides convenient access to networking opportunities.

CLICK ON THE SESSIONS BELOW TO REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE

Tuesday, July 14th

Wednesday, July 15th

Thursday, July 16th

Utility Leader Presentations

We’re excited to announce the utility leaders who will share practical strategies, lessons learned, and real-world experiences from their organizations at our upcoming Customer Service Insights Conference. We hope you will join us – in person or online – for these engaging sessions.

Training with Purpose: Measuring Growth, Driving Performance

Tuesday, July 14 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Presenter: Derrick Gautney, Energy and Business Manager, Customer Service, Lakeland Electric

Growing eBill Adoption While Enhancing the Customer Experience

Tuesday, July 14 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET

Presenter: Zenobia Grace, MBA, Marketing Program Manager, DTE Energy

Call Recipes: Standardizing the Call Handling Approach

Wednesday, July 15 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM ET

Presenter: Mandy Federspiel, Consumers Energy

Digital Billing Adoption Through Data-Driven Customer Engagement

Wednesday, July 15 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET

Presenters: Stan Williams, Principal Data Scientist; Jessica Hoog, Communications Specialist; and Kess Arnold, Graphic Design Specialist – Ameren

Quality Over Quantity: The Key Account Management Advantage

Thursday, July 16 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Presenter: Derrick Gautney, Energy and Business Manager, Customer Service, Lakeland Electric

Meeting FAQs

Are your meetings online or in person?

Will I get documents to take home?

Can I bring my laptop?

What is the dress code?

Detroit, Michigan July 13-16, 2026

When:
July 13-16, 2026

Where:
The Henry by Marriott
300 Town Center Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126

How:
Review the schedule below and follow the links provided to register for sessions, complimentary meals, and to book your hotel room.

We invite you to register using the link below, whether you will be attending in person or participating virtually.

Your timely registration is essential for accurate planning, as meals and event space are allocated on confirmed attendance.

We encourage you to reserve your room through our conference room block at The Henry by Marriott.

Staying at the host hotel keeps you close to all conference activities and provides convenient access to networking opportunities.