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Utility Companies Are Increasingly at Risk of Customer Churn from Poor Quality Customer Service

3rd Party Remote Call Monitoring Feature

November 14, 2013

Utility Companies Are Increasingly at Risk of Customer Churn from Poor Quality Customer Service

By Tracey E. Schelmetic, TMCnet Contributor

Let’s face it: the importance of a company’s need to provide high quality customer service varies by industry. If you’re selling a commodity – books and DVDS, for example, or clothing – you had best knock customers’ socks off with the quality of customer service you provide. It’s simply too easy for customers to go elsewhere. If you’re an electric company, on the other hand, you know customers don’t have much of a choice. It’s tempting to cut corners in customer support in order to save money. After all…what are people going to do: live in the dark if they don’t like your service?


Increasingly, however, customers DO have choices when it comes to energy, which is why it’s critical that utility companies step up their game when it comes to providing customer service. According to contact center solutions provider Aspect (News - Alert), recent reports have revealed that the sheer volume of customers looking to switch energy suppliers in the UK has boosted various comparison websites by 25 percent in October (compared to five per cent for the previous quarter). Les Cooper, head of utilities at Aspect Software, believes rocketing energy prices coupled with abysmal customer service are to blame for this mass exodus.

“Energy firms need to re-energize their customer service if they are to stem the flow of customers pouring out of the floodgates,” explained Cooper. “The prevalence of comparison and review Web sites has placed a huge emphasis on customer service across the utilities sector, as they provide budget conscious customers with a hassle free method of securing the best deals, easing their transition between competitors.”

Cooper noted that customer service is key from both a positive and negative stand point and must not be overshadowed by the effect of price hikes. Bad customer service can incentivize a switch, yet quality customer service can be central tool toward maintaining the loyalty of current customers and attracting those disenfranchised by less conscientious firms.

For utility companies seeking to retain customers, then, it’s critical they ensure they are operating their contact centers as if they were those book and clothing retailers, with up-to-date technology; an integrated, multichannel approach; current databases of customer information and a blended inbound/outbound approach that lets them communicate with customers proactively.

In addition, it’s critical for utility providers to monitor the quality of service it’s offering. While customer surveys work well, they can only be carried out occasionally. Agent monitoring is also important, but it’s the quality of interactions that are most critical to monitor. Many companies hoping to step up their customer service game find success with third-party call monitoring from firms such as BPA Quality.

These organizations provide services that range from analyzing calls that have already been recorded on a client’s recording system to recording and analyzing calls remotely at third-party research centers. More importantly, they provide speedy results that can allow contact centers to take advantage of the intelligence they uncover in real-time. This allows them both to make changes on-the-fly and to boost employee engagement by using real information to help agents polish their skills and see a connection between their efforts and real results.

By boosting the quality of customer service provided, energy companies can stop the bleed of lost customers and offset the unpleasant realities caused by rate hikes. Many people are willing to pay a little more for a product or service that comes with guaranteed high quality customer support. It’s critical that energy companies become what their customers require most.




Edited by Blaise McNamee
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