POWERGRAMS

5 Alabama Power's ability to serve large businesses has long been a source of pride for the professionals who work with those customers. They also take pride in earning the No. 1 ranking in the 2014 Customer Value Benchmark (CVB) study in the Large Business category. Whether it is in a traditional industry like steel and metals or in growing business segments like automotive and chemicals, Alabama Power account managers have a shared, proven strategy to address the needs of those important customers. It all boils down to building meaningful relationships with a breadth and depth of customer contacts, internal Alabama Power stakeholders and external allies. Employees have a keen understanding of businesses and an ability to communicate the ways Alabama Power can best serve customers. "Providing great customer service comes by doing a number of things very well and the account managers at Alabama Power are among the best at doing those things," said Jerry Goldman, primary metals business segment manager for large business accounts. "In addition to knowing all about the electro- technologies and the many ways Alabama Power can serve them, they must also take time to know and understand the customer's business. This takes a level of commitment and professionalism that I feel is second to none when it comes to our account managers." Goldman said the account managers take the time to get to know the business leaders of the companies they serve, and maintain the relationships to ensure they continuously meet those companies' needs. "My goal for my team is that when the customer thinks about Alabama Power Company, they see their account manager's face," he said. Alabama Power's work with the automotive industry has scored highest in the survey for the past four years. Larry Stokley, automotive business segment manager for large business accounts, said many share in that achievement. "We have dedicated account managers who respond to customer needs no matter the opportunity, the complexity or even the time of day," Stokley said. "Alabama Power account managers recognize and know their customer's products, manufacturing processes, who they supply and who supplies them." Stokley said Alabama Power professionals identify what the company can do to satisfy customers' needs. In doing so, they're helping power Alabama's economic growth. "Honda has enjoyed a very beneficial relationship with Alabama Power Company since even before the start of our production operations in Lincoln in 2001," said Jeff Tomko, president of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. "I hope the associates of Alabama Power take pride in knowing that more than 3 million Alabama-built Hondas – including Odyssey minivans, Pilot SUVs, Ridgeline pickup trucks, Accord V6 sedans and Acura MDX luxury SUVs – have been produced with electricity supplied by Alabama Power." David Stewart, chemicals business segment manager for large business accounts, said the Alabama Power name comes with an expectation from businesses and it is the job of account managers to live up to and exceed those expectations. "We are fortunate to represent a company that has an excellent reputation, and all 6,900 employees contribute to that reputation. Almost every customer that we interface with knows someone in their community, besides their account manager, who works for Alabama Power," Stewart said. "While we want our account managers to be the point of interface with our industrial customers, every interaction that our fellow employees have with them, at work or in the community, molds the perception they have of Alabama Power and contributes to our success." As with the other large business segments, Stewart said it is essential to take time to understand a customer's business and needs along with establishing and cultivating relationships. "Our job as account managers is to represent our customer's interest to the company and represent the company's interest to the customer," he said. "If they don't succeed, we don't succeed." Bob Weaver, vice president of Customer Services, acknowledged that now is not a time for Alabama Power to rest on its CVB laurels. "We have always listened to our customers. We will continue emphasizing knowing our customers," he said. "We will talk to them, focus on their concerns, answer their questions and work hard to find innovative solutions to continue this trend of very satisfied and loyal customers." By Mike Tomberlin APC comes up big when it comes to large businesses CUSTOMER SERVICE Honda plant in Lincoln produces Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline and Acura MDX. FIRST IN A SERIES

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