Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1111696
NETWORK / 12 / MAY 2019 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT Dealing with weather events Alex Prentice, sector lead for utilities at Huntswood, examines how networks can prepare for a signifi cant rise in customer complaints and queries around extreme weather events. T here is little doubt our weather is becoming more unpredictable and extreme. Last year, we saw widespread snow fall in March when the 'Beast from the East' struck, followed by one of the longest heatwaves in living memory over the summer. Although long-range weather forecasts should be treated with caution, there have already been predictions that this winter could be an especially harsh one with low temperatures and prolonged periods of snow. Energy • rms are used to planning for extremes in weather and have invested signi• cantly in the resilience of their supply networks. But as the climate becomes more unpredictable – with storms and extreme weather seemingly sweeping in at short notice and high speed – it is taking the challenge to new levels. We may not be able to predict the weath- er but building resilience across the UK's power network is crucial. Companies must be prepared for these types of events, both in terms of the ability to physically support the system and to ensure that they have robust processes in place to deliver support to customers at times of need. While a quick and e„ ective reactive response is crucial, the industry should also be embracing on- going proactive customer communication to build trust and prepare for unexpected challenges. Extreme weather can a„ ect all cus- tomers and put anyone in a position of hardship and duress. However, it can particularly a„ ect vulnerable custom- ers, who are already a signi• cant priority focus for Ofgem. There are a myriad of reasons as to why custom- ers may be vulnerable, and all – in- cluding the elderly, young children, those with disabilities or poor health, and those who may already be heav- ily rationing their energy usage to keep costs down – can all be severely impacted during extreme cold and/or interruptions to power. customers know that a company is genu- inely doing everything it can to help them and return services to normal. Building trust has been a major focus for the energy sector and progress has been made. But if companies are not 'there' for customers when they are most needed, that trust can be wiped away in an instant. Maintaining – and indeed increasing – trust through strong and proactive communica- tion can also help to reduce complaint levels. For example, in the water industry, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) found that during the freeze-thaw earlier this year companies that used all their com- munication channels and showed a pres- ence on the ground received lower levels of complaints. Recent events demonstrate that while some suppliers respond well to chal- lenges and keep customers top of mind via ongoing business planning and e„ ective communication, others have improvements to make. External customer engagement experts can provide an outside perspec- tive for companies seeking to anticipate customer needs more e„ ectively and ensure high quality complaints handling, which reduces costs over the long-term. This may be an opportune time for energy • rms to consider external partnerships that improve customer relationships, rebuild trust and reduce complaints, which allows compa- nies to focus on their core activities. Extreme weather is certainly a challenge for energy networks, but if managed successfully, it can also be a catalyst to improve customer engage- ment and achieve good outcomes. Dealing with such events should not be a bolt-on le' to the last minute, but rather should be an extension of a culture already there. That is why it's about much more than just having enough front-line sta„ to cope with de- mand; it's about putting in place the right culture across the busi- ness and looking at the customer journey at every point. Energy • rms are increasingly • nding that e„ ectively supporting customers requires clear and e„ ective customer-centric commu- nications; for example, sta„ who are trained to understand the signs of vulnerability and are given the authority to o„ er " exible solutions where appropriate, as well as a commitment to measuring progress against clearly de• ned outcomes. The same principles apply to extreme weather. It's about proactive communica- tion to give warning and raise awareness that an event may be coming, and fast and responsive communications across chan- nels (phone, online, social media) when an event hits. This transparent approach to communication, backed up by su– cient engineers in the • eld and agents in the cus- tomer servicing and complaints team, lets unpredictable – with storms and extreme weather seemingly sweeping in at short notice and high speed – it is taking the We may not be able to predict the weath- er but building resilience across the UK's power network is crucial. Companies must be prepared for these types of events, both in terms of the ability to physically support the system and to ensure that they have robust processes in place to deliver support to customers at times of need. While a quick and e„ ective reactive response is crucial, the industry should also be embracing on- going proactive customer communication to build trust and prepare for unexpected Extreme weather can a„ ect all cus- tomers and put anyone in a position of hardship and duress. However, it can particularly a„ ect vulnerable custom- priority focus for Ofgem. There are a myriad of reasons as to why custom- ers may be vulnerable, and all – in- cluding the elderly, young children, those with disabilities or poor health, and those who may already be heav- keep costs down – can all be severely impacted during extreme cold and/or Recent events demonstrate that while some suppliers respond well to chal- lenges and keep customers top of mind via ongoing business planning and e„ ective communication, others have improvements to make. External customer engagement experts can provide an outside perspec- tive for companies seeking to anticipate customer needs more e„ ectively and ensure high quality complaints handling, which reduces costs over the long-term. This may be an opportune time for energy • rms to consider external partnerships that improve customer relationships, rebuild trust and reduce complaints, which allows compa- nies to focus on their core activities. Extreme weather is certainly a challenge for energy networks, but if managed successfully, it can also be a catalyst to improve customer engage- ment and achieve good outcomes. Dealing with such events should not be a bolt-on le' to the last minute, but rather should be an extension of a culture already there. That is why it's about much more than just having enough front-line sta„ to cope with de- mand; it's about putting in place the right culture across the busi- ness and looking at the customer journey at every point. tomer servicing and complaints team, lets