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UTILITY WEEK | 29TH SEPTEMBER - 5TH OCTOBER 2017 | 23 Operations & Assets Market view W hen a utility's frontline staff are faced with aggressive, vexatious customers, the stakes can be high. Aggressive customer interaction, while rare, can put an employee's health and safety at risk and, if not handled properly, can lead to legal claims and significant commercial and reputational implications. Employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment. The onus is firmly on utilities to make it clear they do not tolerate customers acting inap- propriately and to implement conflict reso- lution strategies that prepare employees for difficult situations, ensuring the necessary support can be draed in when required. An added pressure comes from the cur- rent climate. Public sentiment towards the sector, particularly energy suppliers, is at a low point and the media is quick to jump on any customer dispute that portrays a utility in a bad light. In today's competitive market- place a conflict resolution strategy must balance the need to protect workers with a requirement to deliver good customer service and resolve disputes before they escalate, or are aired in a public forum. The level of risk is largely dependent on the nature of the customer's grievance and their temperament. When a customer becomes abusive or threatening during the course of a complaint being addressed, the danger to the welfare of the frontline employee handling the case intensifies. These circumstances can cause serious men- tal distress for customer service agents in a contact centre setting. For employees who have to visit a customer's property to inves- tigate or substantiate a claim, their physical safety can also be at risk. If an employee is harmed in the course of performing their duties, utilities can be le liable. It must be remembered that situations like this are uncommon. Most complaints are resolved quickly and amicably. Serious conflict flashpoints usually occur when a customer's day-to-day life has been seriously affected. This could include a burst water main causing significant flood damage to a customer's property, or a long-term power outage caused by routine works. Other cus- tomers may act in an unacceptable manner for no apparent reason. An effective conflict resolution strategy prepares staff for such extreme circumstances. With this in mind, here are three ways to help utilities implement a conflict resolution framework that protects staff, addresses cus- tomer grievances effectively and safeguards the business from reputational damage. Processes Have a clear process in place to identify and expedite challenging customer grievances. Utilities, like any consumer-centric business, have to handle customer complaints on a regular basis. A conflict resolution strategy must separate the innocuous, day-to-day grievances that are resolved easily from those that pose a threat to the employee on the receiving end. This involves recording instances when customers have been aggressive in the past so they are easily identified, but more impor- tantly, there must also be a clear process for frontline staff to raise concerns with their superiors if they feel their personal wellbeing is at risk. Utilities must not be slow to sup- port their employees in such circumstances The next phase is dependent on the business. Usually an incrementally severe process of restrictions will be imposed on the vexatious customer, barring them from making contact until a decision on their case has been made. In extreme cases, it may be appropriate to withdraw employee involve- ment altogether and legal action or police involvement could be required. The impor- tant thing is that this expedition process is transparent and everyone understands their responsibilities. Training Deliver effective and targeted training. Com- prehensive, regular training sessions are the most effective way to protect the health and safety of employees and prepare them for challenging customer interactions. Any programme should cover a broad range of situations and clearly show employees how to respond to and handle unreasonable, or threatening behaviour, and how to acquire support if needed. There are a number of ways to achieve this, but whatever the delivery method, utili- ties must provide realistic scenarios that test employees, without exposing them to cus- tomers prematurely, so they gain the experi- ence needed, without incurring the risk. Culture Cultivate a positive workplace culture. A con- flict resolution strategy that protects staff will work only if utilities promote an envi- ronment where workers feel comfortable highlighting threatening situations or inter- actions. The last thing any business wants is an employee feeling they have to put themselves in danger, or go over and above the call of duty, to deal with a vexatious cus- tomer, for fear of being reprimanded. Utilities need to engage the full buy-in of the business to make conflict resolution a success. Good communication, clear policy and effective governance will create a culture where staff feel safe and complaints, what- ever their nature, are handled effectively. Manbir Thandi, associate and utilities specialist, Weightmans LLP Settling the argument Conflict resolution is a crucial part of quality customer service, but utilities must ensure their employees' health and safety is protected, says Manbir Thandi. Key points Employers have a duty of care to their employees. The media are quick to jump on any public argument involving utilities. Proper training should be provided to enable staff to deal with aggressive or unreasonable customers. Put the right processes in place to expe- dite conflict resolution. Make sure staff are comfortable bringing situations to the attention of senior man- agers.