Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 27TH MARCH - 2ND APRIL 2020 | 23 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets out Northern Ireland is essential to improve the infrastructure and to help us to ensure the protection of public health and the environment, support the growing economy and enable us to meet increasingly challenging Euro- pean standards." Three local businesses were involved in the project. Coalisland- based Geda Construction was the main contractor, supported by Newry-based Water Solutions Ireland as M&E/pro- cess engineering subcontractor. Bel- fast-based McAdam Design provided technical and project management support. 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 Market view Send a clearer online message Julien Rio sets out five tips to ensure consistent messaging across the latest digital channels. U tilities have to face the fact that the way custom- ers want to engage with them is changing again – and messaging apps are becoming more popular. Companies do a great job using their social media channels to share updates during floods and high winds, but what if the customer wants to make contact through new channels such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp? Messaging apps need a different tone. Customers use messaging every day to communicate with their peers. They send short messages, use emojis, pictures and voice messages – and keep it informal. Make it conversational Do not copy and paste emails into a messaging app. Mes- sages should be kept short and split into multiple blocks if they are long. The flow can be adapted to the custom- er's answers, just as they would in person. Take advantage of messaging rich features Messaging channels incorporate features such as file sharing, live location and voice messages. Think about how that may be of benefit. For example, you could use location data to establish an address or fault location. Keep the tone aligned with the brand A less formal tone should stay consistent with the brand identity. A good practice is to keep in mind the target audience. If a renewable energy company is targeting millennials, it makes sense to talk the same language as them, using their first name and emojis for example. Train agents to use the right tone Digital channels involve written communication, so the skills needed are different from the ones used on the phone. AŽer defining the tone of voice, the challenge is to implement it and train agents for it – but in a way that empowers them through guidelines, rather than strictly defining every interaction. Create chatbots that adopt your tone Brands should let the customer know when they are interacting with a chatbot. A common practice is to give it a name, and welcome the customer with a message like: "Hi, I'm M, your personal assistant." Messaging channels are a great opportunity to rein- force the relationship with customers by being bet- ter aligned with their daily habits. Companies can take advantage of these channels to maximise customer satis- faction and create more personal conversations. Julien Rio, director of marketing, RingCentral Engage Digital

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