Customer Preferences with Regard to Correspondence from an Energy Company
Purpose: To examine customer preferences with regard to correspondence from a major energy company and how they differ by generation. Design/Methodology/Approach: This article presents the results of a qualitative research on different preferences demonstrated by two segments of customers of a large energy company – young customers under 40 years of age, and mature customers, over 40 years of age – with regard to the correspondence received. The research question was formulated as follow, do the identified groups of customers have different preferences regarding the indicated elements of business letters? The energy company provided sample letter templates and participated in adapting the research scenario to the specific nature of the industry. Findings: Based on the research results, it was possible to answer the research question posed – in part, the preferences of young and mature customers with regard to correspondence from the energy company are the same, and in part, they differ significantly. Practical Implications: Areas of common and different preferences for selected recipient segments as well as recommendations for the visual layout of the letters and their content were identified. Recommendations, derived from literature studies and qualitative research findings, were produced. Originality/value: The originality and value of the study are given by the fact that this area – correspondence from a large company is poorly researched and not exhaustively discussed in the available literature. Few researchers have addressed this important area of customer communication, especially in the current pandemic situation. The energy company may incorporate the produced recommendations into its customer communication strategy.