Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | AUGUST 2021 | 31 Customers in association with seek to make up lost ground caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But progress is being thwarted, either because suppli- ers don't hold up-to-date contact information or because customers don't respond to supplier requests to book an installation. Our experience has shown that engaging with customers directly and explaining the bene• ts of a smart meter results in an average 30 per cent increase in success rates for booking these installations. Even if a customer rejects the installation, a sup- plier can demonstrate they have taken "all reasonable measures". In today's highly competitive energy retail market where di„ erentiation is hard and operational e… ciency paramount, using face-to-face to book smart meter installations allows suppliers to focus on a spe- ci• c geographic area with the bene• t of ensuring that installs will be in close proximity. This boosts e… ciency by reducing travel time for installers and maximising the number of installs per day they can achieve. What are the key tenets of face-to-face engagement in a post-Covid world? Social distancing rules resulting from the Covid pan- demic have done little to dampen a returning enthusi- asm for face-to-face engagement. However, new measures and functionality imple- mented by Digital Wave Solutions ensure that the in-person process is safe without compromising on the impact that it has from an engagement perspective. To ensure full engagement with the customer, brand ambassadors are now able to share their screen with the customer using a text message sent to the customer's phone. This enables the customer to view any informa- tion or materials being presented without compromise to social distancing rules. Pandemic impact aside, it is increasingly clear that face-to-face is an essential part of the sales mix for any energy supplier looking to increase its customer base, reduce churn and increase uptake to new products and services which will help consumers play their part in the energy transition. The growing swell of suppliers actively employing face-to-face engagement strategies is testament to its success. Our platform is a case in point: the Open Door system is widely perceived as the industry standard, and is already being used by most companies who engage in face-to-face activity. Each day suppliers using the platform engage with over 75,000 existing and potential customers. Interview Tobias Jung Director, Digital Wave Solutions "Face-to-face is an essential part of the sales mix for energy suppliers." "Experience has shown that engaging with customers directly and explaining the benefi ts of a smart meter results in anw average 30 per cesnt increase in success rates for booking these installations." In Utility Week's report Tobias Jung, director of Digital Wave Solutions, explores key questions about the value of face-to-face engagement in the current industry con- text and the steps that energy suppliers should take to ensure these encounters are compliant, e„ ective and e… - cient. Here's a sneak peak into what he has to say: Why is face-to-face engagement still relevant in a digital age? Deregulation of the energy market has resulted in a hugely competitive and highly fragmented market. At the last count, the energy industry had around 60 sup- pliers all vying for customers' hard-won attention. Many of the more recent entrants to the market – and some of the legacy suppliers too – have focused much of their attention on online acquisition channels. It is a strategy that paid o„ when suppliers were able to o„ er signi• cant price savings compared to the so-called big six. However, a combination of hikes in wholesale energy prices, policy costs and the introduc- tion of the energy price cap have signi• cantly reduced the scope for energy suppliers to o„ er savings to custom- ers – or indeed to make a pro• t on their deals. Meanwhile, the rising use of intermediaries like price comparison websites (PCW) has caused a general dis- tancing of customers from their suppliers at the critical moment of contract renewal. PCW's encourage a price- driven sale that forces suppliers not only to be more competitive than the customer's current supplier, but also cheaper than all other suppliers listed. This forces suppliers to o„ er tari„ s that are commercially unattrac- tive, loss leading or simply unsustainable. It is no coincidence that a number of suppliers have ceased trading in the past few years and further consolidation of the market is inevitable. At Digital Wave Solutions, we • rmly believe that this is in large part due to the fact that suppliers are unable to pro• tably acquire customers from day one. How can face-to-face engagement drive up rst-time installation for smart meter appointments? Energy suppliers are under pressure to step up e„ orts to hit their smart meter rollout targets and demonstrate they have taken "all reasonable measures" to do so if they are to avoid • nes from the energy regulator. Ofgem data suggests that energy suppliers are hoping to install 2.6 million smart meters in the • rst half of 2021 as they Download the full report, Utility Week Explains: The Value of Face-to-Face Engagement in a Digital and Decarbonising World free at: https://utilityweek. co.uk/sponsor/digital-wave- solutions/

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