Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 8TH - 14TH JUNE 2018 | 21 The impacts on day-to-day life of being vulnerable are broad and varied. As well as those who are physically disabled, vulnerabil- ity is characterised by a range of emotional and practical conse- quences, including heightened stress levels, time pressures, a lack of perspective, poor decision-making, an inability to plan ahead and foresee prob- lems, and changing attitudes While technology can have a sig- nificant role to play by breaking down communication barriers for vulnerable customers, to be effective it has to deliver chan- nels of communication that suit the individual and not introduce jargon and further confusing barriers. Providing help through vari- Challenge 1: Ensuring innovative tech reaches the right people Challenge 2: Harnessing tech to improve comms towards risk-taking. And all of these have the potential to shape their financial experiences. However, with that broad spectrum in mind, how can utilities ensure that emerging technologies such as the security of blockchain or the connectiv- ity of artificial intelligence reach the right people? Researching, developing and installing new systems is characteristically costly, and if that cost is even in part passed on to the consumer, vulnerable customers may miss out on the advances that have been designed to help or protect them. Furthermore, there's the issue of digital exclusion – custom- ers in vulnerable circumstances ous communications channels is essential, so that whatever a customer's circumstances they are able to access the informa- tion they need, be it via auto- mated phone service or chatbot. Similarly, providing external sources of help relevant to each customer's situation should be done through these same multi- ple channels. A number of industry case studies conducted by organisa- tions including Citizens Advice and Energy UK have noted that there can be a lack of consist- ency in the service and informa- may not have access to or would rather not use digital channels. And those same customers are likely to find it harder to finance energy-saving services and tech- nology such as smart appliances because they have limited cash flow, lack a credit history, have negligible savings, or else have a rational aversion to risk-taking – even if the payback periods are attractive. tion provided by companies through the different channels they offer. In all cases, they recom- mend that utility companies should allow their customers to choose the most appropri- ate communication channel for their circumstances from the full range provided. Digital and other services, including mobile branches, can support customers in vulner- able situations, but not every customer has access to, under- stands or prefers to use these types of channel. It's all very well for utility companies to introduce apps or GPS-led services, but they must also cater for those who would prefer a simple letter through the post, or someone on the end of the phone. In some cases digital services are not the answer, but even if the customer in question doesn't want to use new tech, digital systems can be used to establish that fact behind the scenes. When tech gets in the way There are a multitude of system constraints that firms put in place to safeguard customers from fraud and abuse. And although these are critical, sometimes they can act as a usability barrier for vulnerable cus- tomers. For example, security passwords can be an impossible obstacle for the elderly or those with cognitive issues. Firms need to deconstruct the assumptions they've made about customers' abilities when using technology in their business model, and focus attention on the potential impact these assumptions could have on vulnerable customers. They should also consider vulnerable customers who may not trust, have access to, or have the ability to use, the technology. Using new technology to help identify customers who are temporarily vulnerable Over 300,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year. Yet not all energy companies factor critical illness into their risk architecture and determine an appropriate strategy for managing repayment obligations under these circumstances. Cancer is one of many such examples, but temporary vulner- ability across the board poses a particular challenge when it comes to identification. Unlike vul- nerability based on clear disability such as blindness, or that arising from age-related conditions or learning disabilities (which are more straightforward to detect), temporary states of vulnerability can affect anyone at any time, and are much harder to monitor. Temporary vulnerability is an exceptionally broad category, encompassing a range of personal life circumstances, including debt problems, bereavement, and emotional instability. But this is where Martin Ellingham, senior product manager at Aptean, believes technology has the potential to step in and pick up on even slight nuances. Aptean provides complaints soware to financial services firms and is currently investigating whether technology can understand human behaviour to identify vulnerability. Ellingham says the tools the company is developing could monitor client approaches or conversations, what is asked for and how it is asked, and then alert an adviser about potential issues. The technology is ready in principle but the development of any meaningful commercial product is still a way off because the underlying data to ensure the product works accurately has not yet been captured and defined. He says: "Vulnerability is something that affects everyone through their life, and regulated firms have a responsibility to treat [clients who are vulnerable] differ- ently to how they normally would. "Certain artificial intelligence tools might be able to help with some permanent pattern recognition, to identify vulnerable customers from what they want and how and what they say. "The tools are at a point now where they are mature enough to find the needle in the haystack but we need to get the data to back it all up correctly." Vulnerabilities that fall into the temporary section generally have transitory impacts on customers and their ability to interact with their utility company. Someone suffering bereavement, for example, may not be making decisions with a clear head, while also having to go through processes with firms they may not be familiar with. It is important here that there is an understanding of the customer's ability to deal with the life event they are facing, and of the longevity of the likely impact on them. This should be regularly checked where there is customer interaction. Appropriate recording of the situation is required so that anyone likely to deal with the customer is aware of the vulner- ability. This is critical to ensuring the customer feels understood, empathised with and treated sympathetically. Having a system in place to make sure this happens is therefore completely invaluable.

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