Solutions Archives

Wednesday June 22 2022

In 2019, we visited the topic of customer service expectations and what the future would look like within this space. As was the case then, consumer behaviour is still variable and hard to predict, but there are certain trends that brands should be aware of to ensure their customer service is of a fantastic standard. […]

Tuesday June 21 2022

One of the main objections we hear in relation to outsourcing customer services is brand protection, and as a marketing department, it’s one we can certainly relate to. You’ve invested everything into growing your business; you are proud of your team, reputation and culture, but you are growing rapidly. You need extra resources and support, […]

Thursday May 12 2022

As the way customers engage with their utility suppliers and general purchasing behaviours change, the rise of the contact centre world is showing no signs of slowing. By 2027, the industry is expected to reach a value of $496 billion (Statistica), and in turn, demand for outsourcing contact centre services is due to grow.   With […]

Tuesday May 10 2022

Recently, customers have been worried and concerned around matters such as supplier of last resort processes and price increases, and it is during such times that communication is crucial. The changes have been confusing to those of us ingrained in the market, let alone the end-users, amplifying the importance of communicating effectively. Customer communication is […]

Friday May 6 2022

There are a lot of challenges facing customers currently with the rising cost of living and the impact financial burdens have on mental wellbeing. That is why Ofgem’s directive – that the energy market ‘is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all consumers, including those in vulnerable situations’ – is more imperative than […]

Wednesday May 4 2022

A big focus in Utilities, as in many industries, is the evolution of customer service offerings in a post-pandemic world. How have the customer expectations changed? Which communication channels are being used, and how effective are they? Moreover, where can innovation make life easier for providers and customers alike? As stated by Five9, the intelligent […]

Thursday April 28 2022

The utility market has been experiencing unprecedented change; it is practically impossible to watch the news and not hear about the soaring energy prices and the knock-on effects on our economy and communities alike. The industry has a number of challenges to overcome in 2022, but that’s not to say that progress has not […]

Monday March 21 2022

Modern Consumers Demand More There has never been as much choice as there is today; the world of e-commerce has ballooned, which means that there are seemingly endless options at the click of a button. The pandemic has only accelerated this trend, and, as a result, some of the best-known brands globally have seen a […]

Friday March 18 2022

We undeniably live in a data-driven world. If you want to get ahead and retain customers, making the best use of the information at hand is vital. While many retail businesses have a wealth of data at their fingertips, ensuring that it is analysed and implemented is an ongoing process. Here, we look at some […]

Wednesday March 16 2022

Due to rising demand, HGV driver shortages, and more expectant customers than ever before, it’s evident that the ‘Amazon Generation’ are pushing the industry to new levels of transformation. So, what can we learn from consumers’ new habits post-pandemic, and how is that already impacting the UX regarding deliveries and returns? The Rise of Digital […]

Monday March 14 2022

The UK has the most advanced e-commerce market in all of Europe. This means that staying ahead of the game has never been more imperative; consumers expect a high level of service when buying products online. Consequently, retail businesses must work hard to deliver, literally… Flexibility in Delivery and Returns Perhaps one of the most […]

Wednesday March 9 2022

The UK high street has been a changing landscape for some time. Add in a pandemic, and you’ve got a recipe for potential disaster. Case in point, in May 2021, the British Retail Consortium reported a 77.8% year-on-year decline in footfall across the high street. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, many of the most beloved […]

Monday March 7 2022

As we see the easing of Covid restrictions across the UK and a sense of normality return, we felt this was the time to look at how retail has had to adjust and what we might see moving forwards. Many retailers have had to quickly adapt to new forms of digital engagement and improve their […]

Thursday December 2 2021

Excellent customer service is a top priority when you’re running a retail business. Here at DDC OS, we can help you outsource this aspect of your business so you can focus on delivering exceptional products and services. We speak your customers’ language—literally. We can offer multilingual customer services so we can deal with your customer base in […]

Wednesday November 10 2021

Let’s face it —personality matters. Marketing departments can spend millions on creating a solid brand personality. However, it’s the staff members on the front line who portray it: the customer service team. When you have a small team, taking total control of your brand personality is easy. However, as things start to grow (both physically […]

Thursday March 11 2021

The last few months have seen increasingly turbulent times for energy suppliers, culminating in two suppliers shutting up shop in the previous few months alone.

Tuesday December 22 2020

In recent years, the business world has undergone countless transformations. The advent of modern technology has changed many mainstream companies’ processes. Here at DDC Outsourcing Solutions (DDC OS), we are continuously looking to support our clients through innovation.

Wednesday November 18 2020

Sleigh bells may not be ringing just yet, but as a business leader, you should be looking ahead to the holiday season. Before you know it, the most magical time of year will be upon us. So, have you made sure that your company is prepared for this period?

Monday October 5 2020

Customer services matter. 96% of consumers say that this is an important factor when choosing whether to be loyal to a brand, according to a survey from Microsoft. Ensuring that you offer your customer base what they expect is a must. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a customer services team. Believe it or […]

Wednesday July 22 2020

Moneyball gave us one of the most popular business/sports theories we have seen in recent times, not to mention a fantastic movie. To steal a line from the film, “you’re not even looking at the problem.” It is something that many a customer has disgruntledly muttered down the phone. In some cases, they aren’t wrong. Customer […]

Monday June 29 2020

Many have faced the same question, should we place our customer services inhouse, or outsource? Weighing up the pro’s and con’s, looking at the current set up and taking advice from experts, but what is the right decision? As an outsourcer of excellent customer services, we might be forgiven for being slightly biased here, but none the less, here is our take, starting […]

Wednesday June 17 2020

In today’s globalised market, communicating only in one language can immediately limit your customer base. Here we share with you what we think are the 5 most important reasons for having multilingual customer service. Communicating Effectively A key aspect of great customer service is the ability to communicate effectively with your customer. Without the ability […]

Friday May 1 2020

In the past two decades, online commerce has grown significantly, creating a truly global market. A company offering products or services in a global marketplace, needs to offer the customer services to match, and of course, this means communication in a multitude of languages. There is a wide range of tools available that can help […]

Tuesday March 31 2020

A staggering 90% of consumers expect companies to have an online portal for customer service. Are you prepared to support that 90%? For many companies, the investment needed to launch their own app is just too large for them to take this important step in their multi channel digital communication strategy; But in a recent study […]

Thursday February 20 2020

One of the main barriers we hear to outsourcing is one of brand protection, and as the person in our business that heads up marketing, it`s one I can certainly relate to. You’ve invested your heart and soul into growing your business; your team, your reputation and your culture is one you are proud of. […]

Thursday February 20 2020

On a recent visit to our Bosnian head office in Sarajevo, Nielsen Brandbank (NBB) were left delighted at what they saw. As a long-standing client, this was an opportunity for Mike Nickituk, Global Managing Director, to witness first-hand the work our team have been delivering successfully for many years. During the visit, Jelena, one of […]

Friday February 14 2020

With 37 million meters still to be installed the ambitious 2020 deadline has, as expected, been extended. However, the new 2024 deadline still poses a substantial logistical headache for suppliers. It still requires the number of installations per month to more than double that of the current rate. Here at DDC OS, we are at the forefront of the energy market, and […]

Wednesday February 5 2020

As we have all seen in recent weeks, billing issues can be a very costly problem for energy firms. It is a complex industry, and there is no hiding from it, regulations that pose a challenge to even the most forward-thinking, agile firms. Processes and data flows to make the best project managers and data […]

Thursday June 27 2019

Written by, Niall Rogers, Business Development Manager at DDC OS. Operating in what I refer to as a hybrid role, in one moment I can be looking at our marketing strategy, in the next, presenting a proposal for customer services to a prospective client. Whilst I always suspected there would be synergy in the two […]

Tuesday June 4 2019

What should happen before the meter is installed? Your customer should fully understand the installation process and be made aware of your installation code of practice. This might be the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP) or your own internal code of practice. You should advise the customer of what data is collected from […]

Wednesday May 15 2019

The Future of Customer Service Expectations The world is an ever-evolving place, as is the customer service environment. Consumer behaviour is different and in turn, so are customer service expectations. So, for the customer service providers out there, what next? “The trend toward using more channels and fewer traditional methods to contact customer service is […]

Monday March 25 2019

The struggles of the retail industry are apparent to even the untrained eye. Empty high street buildings have become the norm, and with growth of super-brands like Amazon, it’s clear to see that online shopping is reigning supreme. At a time when the customer is spoiled for choice, a superior customer service experience has become […]

Thursday February 7 2019

Outsourcing’s reputation certainly took a hit last year, even the biggest in the industry it seemed could be found in troubled waters. So, throw in the digital age and its relentless ability to make once tiresome manual tasks simple, will Outsourcing survive? Dr Utz in his recent article with the same name, posed the question – ‘Is […]

Monday December 3 2018

Our specialist utilities team here at DDC OS have been vital in delivering great results for our clients, and a key element of that is Client Relationship Manager, Jade Gash. We recently took the time to sit with Jade and learn more about her work and experience in the energy sector… Thanks for taking the […]

Tuesday November 27 2018

The Costs It’s an expensive time for energy suppliers. Fuel costs aside, a highly competitive marketplace has forced companies to focus on other ways of differentiating themselves, requiring investment in other areas of the business. The customer experience is high on the agenda, leading to higher training costs, more technology and more systems. Behind that, […]

Thursday November 15 2018

Hopefully, by now, you have had the opportunity to enjoy some of our utilities briefings. We are delighted to share our latest instalment, looking at the Supplier of Resort process. We hope you find the content useful, and if you would like to learn more please feel free to get in touch. View the paper here.

Monday November 5 2018

What is Ofgem`s Communications Review? All businesses have an obligation to provide their customers with the right information at the right time and in the right format to enable them to make informed choices. In energy, this enables customers to manage their consumption and costs and as technologies and digital services advance. Ofgem has recognised […]

Monday October 29 2018

Thursday October 25 2018

By now you will have read at least one article on ‘Disruption’, if you haven’t, take a look at ours. The article references a number of changes we have implemented to drive us forwards, Michelle Davies, our Programme Director has been pivotal in any transformation. Recently, we took the time to sit with Michelle and […]

Tuesday October 9 2018

Here at DDC Outsourcing Solutions UK (DDC OS), we are always looking at ways to improve our internal processes, and like many companies ahead of the introduction of the GDPR, we implemented a number of transformational changes. The new regulation of course, not only applies to digital data but also physical data. As a company […]

Thursday September 27 2018

This week, we are excited to launch our internal Leadership Development Programme here at DDC OS UK. The course is 9 bespoke modules which will focus on our unique needs; It includes analysing the existing organisational leadership and culture and discovery of the ‘cause and effect’ processes that are currently in place to help shed […]

Tuesday August 28 2018

The charity industry has changed. The fundraising preference service, coupled with the GDPR, has forced charities to change their culture. Gone are the days of hitting data hard, driving up the number of donors through cold calling. Likewise, the responses to the campaign teams in the high streets have dropped significantly. So how do charities […]

Friday August 17 2018

Recently, we have been approached by lots of publications to be part of their latest articles on the new hot topic – disruption. “Can disruption help to reinvent the reputation of outsourcing services?” “Chrissie, tell us how DDC OS UK is helping to disrupt the outsourcing industry!” To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what […]

Tuesday July 31 2018

Our latest infographic is here! We present our 5 top tips when choosing an outsourcing partner. To discuss any of your outsourcing needs please feel free to get in touch.

Thursday July 26 2018

At the Independent Suppliers Forum in October 2017, Ofgem drew attention to the high rates of Erroneous Transfers (ETs) in today’s retail market. An ET occurs when a customer is switched without their consent, this could be due to selecting the incorrect supply on registration, some confusion over the metering set up at a property […]

Thursday July 5 2018

Check out our latest infographic, we take a look at the top reasons to outsource your business processes. To learn more please contact us.

Thursday June 14 2018

Check out our latest Digitisation infographic, and if you`d like to learn more take a look here.

Friday May 25 2018

On the evening of May 24th at The Hilton, Manchester Deansgate The GSA UK held their annual Top Performers and Professional Awards Dinner. Here at DDC OS we are delighted to announce that we have been chosen as a Top Performer, Kerry Hallard, CEO of GSA UK discusses our inclusion; “DDC Outsourcing Solutions UK were […]

Tuesday April 17 2018

IS YOUR SUPPLY BUSINESS READY FOR THE OFGEM BACK BILLING OBLIGATION? Any suppliers giving their regulations a bit of ‘TLC’ will know by now that Ofgem has this week decided to modify the standard conditions of the electricity and gas supply licences by inserting new condition 21BA to protect consumers from lengthy back-bills. The changes […]

Thursday April 12 2018

The GDPR is almost upon us and many people have had their say on how it will affect the outsourcing industry. To put to bed some of the concerns and myths around this, we have put together a Whitepaper with the help of GDPR experts. Download the paper below, and if you have any questions […]

Tuesday March 20 2018

After looking at the impact the GDPR would have on our daily productivity, in part two, we turn our attention to how it might help encourage a culture shift in companies handling data. The GDPR will affect employees at the majority of levels within an organisation handling personal identifiable data (PID), educating people in the […]

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