Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 30TH AUGUST - 5TH SEPTEMBER 2019 | 21 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Operations & Assets organisers of the Pukkelpop and Eurosonic Noorderslag festivals, are working on the project. "Eventually, a whole group of towers will travel around the European festivals and provide them with 100 per cent sustain- able energy," said Moonen. Most of the energy is gener- ated by a vertical wind turbine weighing 700kg and standing 18m tall. If there is no wind, solar cells ensure stable power generation. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send pictures and details to: paulnewton@fav-house.com There is a glaring issue facing utility providers, and it is hid- ing in plain sight. In our com- bined 60 years of researching vulnerable customers, we've found that they are likely to be particularly disengaged with their utility providers. Utilities make up just one part of the di„ culties in their lives, but there are ways that providers can successfully engage with vulnerable customers. Vulnerability a† ects around a third (34 per cent) of the UK public at any given time, according to Populus research. The causes of vulnerability are as varied as the people a† ected. Vulnerability can be caused by life events such as job losses or bereavement, health problems that can be physical, mental, acute or chronic, and unfore- seen Œ nancial hits. Furthermore, vulnerability can be completely invisible, rendering even the most well-meaning of engagement programmes obsolete. Multiple vulnerabilities can hit at any time, and vulnerable custom- ers can rapidly become dis- engaged as the problems rack up. It's important that utility companies fully understand the complex situations and needs of vulnerable customers in order to then o† er e† ec- tive solutions that help them holistically. Tackling vulnerability with the 3 Ps: Proactivity, partnerships, people. The winners when it comes to customer vulnerability are the ones that are proactive in pre- identifying vulnerable custom- ers, harness partnerships and train their people. We call this the 3 P's of vulnerability. Pro-activity Waiting for customers to "pre- sent" with a problem ignores EXPERT VIEW ANDY BARKER, HEAD OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, POPULUS How utilities providers can reach and engage with vulnerable customers the potential majority of people who are vulnerable but do not want to contact organisations. The Œ rst step in tackling vulner- ability is to adopt an "outreach" approach using partners and data analysis to identify poten- tially vulnerable customers. People Sta† at all levels in all func- tions are key – customer-facing sta† have lots of insight. The best companies have a "triage" system with all contact sta† trained, plus referral to special- ist teams for additional services. Utility providers should make full use of sta† experiences and also train all sta† in vulnerabil- ity awareness. Partnerships The companies that are success- ful at reaching and engaging vulnerable customers partner with advice agencies and chari- ties. Partnering and consultative arrangements are the norm at organisations that successfully engage vulnerable audiences. Making use of smart technology Smart technology is making itself at home in our lives and is the next big game changer when it comes to tackling vulnerability. Big data analytics and smart homes are providing more targeted, proactive service opportunities to make people's lives easier. Consumers are increasingly familiar with opt-in policies; companies can harness this data to develop and deliver speciŒ c tailored technological solutions. For further information, visit: https://www.populus.co.uk/ insights/2019/07/hiding-in-plain- sight-how-to-reach-and-engage- with-vulnerable-customers

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