Utility Week

26 | 7TH - 13TH JUNE 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Customers Roundtable Comment Mark Simpson Client services director, Mando Harness the power of digital to make customer experience stand out U tilities customers know what good digital cus- tomer experience looks like, because they're also customers of Amazon, Netflix and other brands most of us have come to love for the simplicity they've brought to our lives. The utilities sector, though, is one where customers don't tend to notice you until there's a problem. That poses a major challenge because when customers do finally engage, it is typically out of necessity or frustra- tion. So how do you make these interactions simple, and turn a negative experience into a positive one? Giving the customer choice It's true that no-one gets excited about paying a bill online, checking for the cheapest tariff or submitting their meter readings. These interactions are generally out of necessity, and not desire. Misery reduction during these moments is oƒen more important than increasing customer experience – where tasks can be fulfilled as simply and efficiently as possible. Digital innovation, like personalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and voice should all be on offer – engaging with customers through multiple channels and allowing seamless switching between them. Sky presents a really good example of promoting channel shiƒ. If you call and the lines are really busy, it'll actually say: "Do you want to continue this via text?" If you do, you'll receive a text message and you'll just have to reply to it. You'll go through the whole account verification process on it, everything on that channel – and you can do it whenever you want, so it's just at the customer's ease. The challenge comes in the inevitable conflict between increased communications and the need to remain efficient and ensure the cost to serve doesn't spiral. One answer is to use AI to deliver automated omnichannel communications on a variety of channels. In the UK, 48 per cent of UK homes will own a smart speaker by 2022, providing access to about 25 million people. Sixty-four per cent of leading-edge companies are confident that AI will deliver a more seamless and optimised customer experience. South Staffs Water has already launched its own Alexa Skill, giving customers the ability to report prob- lems with their water supply, submit a meter reading and check their account balance. Making interaction easy for everyone There is a growing need to create digital experiences that are inclusive, and this is becoming an increasing concern for regulators, with their focus on priority ser- vices customers. In the UK: • there are currently 12 million people with a mental or physical disability, • it is estimated that more than 1 million people will have dementia by 2025, and • almost 3 million households are struggling to pay their water bills. Being a vulnerable customer can also be a tempo- rary state, like being made redundant or breaking a leg. Being mindful of the continuum from permanent disabilities to situational impairments helps us rethink how digital experiences can scale to more people in new ways. Therefore, designing a customer experience that is accessible to those consumers actually makes it a better experience for everyone. Personalisation is just one way that the digital cus- tomer experience can help vulnerable groups. So, serving someone targeted messaging around the priority services register when certain events are triggered on a website, like the time taken to browse pages, or repeated pass- word resetting, for example. Our client United Utilities uses customer data insights from its MyAccount system to drive relevant and personalised calls to action within the main website, nudging changes in customer behaviour. Pre-emptive and proactive communications Customers who are warned pre-emptively about poten- tial disruptions to their service are far less likely to get in touch when an incident does then occur. Companies need to break down data silos, and cor- relate data relating to vulnerable areas of infrastructure with customer information, to proactively communicate to customers if they anticipate issues in their region. Customers – particularly those most vulnerable during disruptions to service – can then take their own precautions to deal with any issues that follow. Keeping customers informed throughout incidents is also key. We worked with our long-standing client United Utilities to display current incidents on its home- page and provide status updates for how the incident is being managed. Alerts are then distributed to customers through multiple channels. Though if you are to push out communications at scale, you will need to ensure your infrastructure is up to the challenge of dealing with surges in customer demand. This is where cloud solutions like Microsoƒ Azure come into their own. Recently, we coupled the flexibility of Microsoƒ Azure with the power of the Episerver DXC for a major electric- ity distribution network operator. When Storm Emma hit in spring 2018, a series of power outages followed. Subsequently, customers flocked to the company website to find out about problems in their area and resolution times. The power cut map, which allows customers to quickly identify any issues in their area, efficiently han- dled a massive increase in visits, with no downtime. Digital customer experience in the utilities sector still has a long way to go. However, those who embrace new technologies and use them to communicate with cus- tomers when and where they choose will set themselves up for success, both with customers and the regulators. "Customers who are warned pre-emptively about potential disruptions to their service are far less likely to get in touch when an incident does then occur."

• Cover