Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 15TH - 21ST MARCH 2019 | 29 Views from the table: 1. Technology is an enabler but it has also raised expectations. 2. Customers now expect every company to be contactable 24/7. 3. Digital channels represent extra layers of communication – they don't replace previous ones. 4. Utilities are now being judged on how they are generally perceived by customers, and not just the ones who have contacted them. 5. Customers don't always diff erentiate between a utility and its subcontractor, so choose your partners with care. Five top takeaways Kit Wilson, head of transformation, Welsh Water "In our new world, where we're being measured on the perception of us rather than necessarily just the contact you have with us, anyone that's wearing a Welsh Water jacket, or driving a Welsh Water van is representing or is infl uencing your customer experience." Steve Chawner, director of utilities, Microso "You've got two choices. You invest in technology to innovate and open up new business models or you take on the technology to create headroom for investment in other areas." Vijay Tank, director of business and digital transformation, Eon "We should absolutely be relevant, and the fact that we're not relevant says something about either the industry or the companies. Being relevant for customers is not optional, it's critical." Brought to you in association with: Bill Wilson, digital channel strategy lead, Severn Trent "We need to start embracing all forms of contact irrespective of it being 'digital' or not. It's what we now do. Contact is contact irrespective of the channel that it is delivered in." Hannah Owen, account executive, Microso "The skills issue is not unique to utilities. It's recognised as a gap and a challenge across industries. We should be doing more to recognise how we can partner up on those challenges to upskill existing employees and attract the best new talent." Flex The latest issue of Flex, Utility Week's quarterly sister publication looking at disruptive technologies, features an in-depth article on how utilities can use smart technology to make customers happy. Plus, there are interviews with Tempus Energy founder Sara Bell and Centrica's global CIO Mike Young, and an investigation into the coming of the energy "prosumer". T E C H N O L O G Y D R I V E N T R A N S F O R M A T I O N Produced in association with Microsoft ISSUE 02 FEB/2019 T E C H N O L O G Y D R I V E N T R A N S F O R M A T I O N ISSUE 02 FEB/2019 e customer of the future is already here PLUS: Centrica's CIO Citizen scientists Happiness tech

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