e-Service utilities energy customer service
e-Service that’s badly in need of energising
So I’ve been looking at the web offerings in the utilities sector lately and I’ve been amazed at how bad their e-service is.
You have to wonder why when the benefits of providing good customer service online are so huge
- When people self serve (i.e. solve their own problems) they feel a sense of accomplishment. You get happy customers.
- When people self serve they don’t call up your call centre. You get fewer calls to your call centre. You have to hire fewer people to answer calls (particularly the more trivial ones). You reduce costs. Is there any company in the world right now that doesn’t want to reduce costs?
- When you allow customers to access their accounts online you don’t have to send out thousands millions of bills out every month.
- When you invest in technology such as smart meters you don’t have to employ meter readers to go round checking the meter and disturbing people in their homes. Again with the cost reduction. You also stop overcharging people with estimated bills, and give people tools to help cut their energy costs.
BUT yes to allow people to do these things will require some investment. However the potential ROI is huge. Sure it’s not in income but in cost reduction and less obvious aspects like customer satisfaction which will reduce customers switching.
There’s a huge gap in the stagnant UK market for a big retail brand to swoop in and disrupt the marketplace with a very competitive offering. Tesco Energy? Virgin Energy? Companies that specialise in disrupting sectors dominated by monolithic organisations.
In Ireland where the energy sector has only recently been deregulated, ESB the incumbant is hemoraging customers at a rate of 1000 a month to Energia who have come in with a great online service offering on top of simply being cheaper. They’ve used the Resource Kraft product to let people visualise their usage and spending in detail, and while their help section isn’t great (British Gas deserves an honourable mention in this department), they have nice touches like their request a call service.
Time for the big boys to do something about it or just watch their customers drift away in drip and drabs and droves eventually.
