Editors’ Note

Kevin Fletcher was appointed to his current post in June 2015. He previously served as Senior Vice President-Customer Operations for We Energies. Prior to joining We Energies in November 2011, Fletcher was Vice President-Community and Economic Development at Georgia Power, Southern Company’s largest subsidiary. In his 34-year career with Southern Co., Atlanta, Fletcher held leadership positions in operations, customer service, marketing, and sales. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. He also completed Harvard Business School’s advanced management program.

What is the most significant factor that accounts for the success for WEC Energy Group?

It’s our focus on safety, customer satisfaction, reliability, and financial discipline, and our clear understanding that this only happens through our people, who are the most important asset we have. That clarity of purpose, which individuals rally around, clearly leads to the success that we have enjoyed while working with Gale (Klappa, Chairman and CEO).

Is the loyalty that WEC has gained through customer service based on technology or is it more about people and the right training?

It’s both. We need to leverage the effectiveness of our resources, but the differentiating factor from a customer satisfaction standpoint is our focus on handling the customer’s request the first time. The company has “We Care” calls, where every transaction with our customers is followed up with a phone call from an employee to get immediate feedback on how well we’ve met their needs and expectations.

Technology allows us to operate more efficiently, but the extra focus on customer service is a differentiator for us.

How critical has it been to drive those values throughout the organization?

It is the key to our success and, as leaders, we must set the pace. Senior leadership is actively involved every day. If we have a dissatisfied customer, we will have an action plan to remedy the problem by day’s end. It’s not uncommon for our leaders to get directly involved in these resolutions.

What have you done to ensure the highest level of safety at WEC Energy Group?

In our daily discussions, we focus on Target Zero, our goal to have zero injuries and accidents. If an injury or accident does occur, we determine the root cause and try our best not to repeat it. Our safety expectations are made clear in everything we do.

We also have a near-miss process, where we encourage employees to let their peers and management know when they see opportunities to correct safety hazards.

From a cultural standpoint, this has helped us with Target Zero and, as a result, we have seen our safety performance improve.

Is it difficult to convey how this company differentiates itself?

Not really, It’s about the consistency of messaging, taking personal responsibility, and delivering on our goals – safety, customer satisfaction, reliability, and financial discipline.•