Blog
Closing the gap between complaint volumes and service ratings to save £m’s
There's generally little correlation between customer service ratings and complaint volumes for energy suppliers. A good Trustpilot score doesn't typically mean less complaints, but as we show here, suppliers can save £m's by closing this gap.
Differentiating the customer journey in energy’s era of ‘similar servicing’
Market share gain and great customer service are becoming increasingly linked in Energy. But as suppliers invest in new operating systems, with many opting for the same or similar providers, how will suppliers differentiate their servicing offering to create a competitive advantage?
Complaints are an increasing burden for non-domestic suppliers
Energy suppliers will need to offer enhanced complaints services to more than 200,000 small businesses under new Ofgem rules, BFY estimates. The Complaints Handling Standards (CHS) are expanding from December 2024 to cover both micro and small businesses, and as volume increases, some will need to adapt more than others, to build the required maturity for higher demand.
Energy suppliers face a third party complaints problem
Energy complaints increased in the latest data, and although volume is normalising at pre-pandemic levels, there’s a concerning trend emerging with third party involvement.
Avoiding customer service ‘black holes’ when embedding AI
Nearly all of our regular clients have told us they’re aiming to use more AI-driven solutions in 2024. Every single transformation plan or roadmap we’ve reviewed this year includes it to some degree. But which use case is most likely to deliver efficiencies and cost-savings, without unnecessary disruption – or even the unintentional creation of a customer service ‘black hole?’
Satisfying customers during large-scale change
Customers want a hassle-free service in Energy and Utilities, meeting their needs rapidly with as few interactions as possible. Suppliers delivering this will generally see their cost to serve fall, and reputation rise – so why does it feel like customers and companies are at odds with each other?
An update on Energy Complaints Performance
Complaints challenges are set to continue in Q1. It’s a trend we’ve seen in recent years, that customers are more likely to complain during a period of high usage. However, based on current market conditions, this year’s uplift could be more significant than usual.
Consumer Standards – How can suppliers rebuild trust?
Following the publication of Ofgem's Consumer Standards decision, we look at the practical steps for implementation, focussing specifically on rebuilding trust with the customer, through the development of specific advisor skills, and tailored customer treatments.
Difficult Conversations – Equipping collections agents for optimal support
With Christmas on the horizon, consumer spending is set to face its usual seasonal increase, adding extra pressure to critical areas like credit card payments and energy bills. Inevitably, some consumers will find themselves in financial difficulty over the coming months, leading to more collections conversations with their service provider.
Winter complaints are coming – and this year, the pressure feels different
Lower temperatures, increased energy usage, and more customer complaints. Suppliers face this challenge during any winter, but this year, there's greater pressure at play. Vulnerability and customer support will remain top of the agenda, following last month's House of Commons Committee report, alongside the ongoing focus on Customer Standards by Ofgem.
Service vs Sales – A dilemma for suppliers as the market reopens
With the prospect of a switching resurgence on the horizon, it will be interesting to see whether suppliers decide to chase the volume of new customers, or seek to prioritise customer retention. In short, many are likely to face a ‘Service vs Sales’ dilemma – bringing a degree of unpredictability to the market.
Closing the Service Gap - Developing Great Conversations
Developing great customer conversations - it's an art. To make it happen, advisers need to be maximising the impact of their voice and the words they use, both of which can be the most powerful tools available in a customer servicing environment. As a leader, how can you develop and empower teams to have effective customer conversations, on a consistent basis?
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