Recently, a report from the BBC showed just how important this is, drawing attention to the increasing number of complaints faced by broadband and telecom companies in the UK.  

What’s interesting about this report is that while many organisations in the market offer similar services, the level of satisfaction among their customers differs drastically.  

Ultimately, companies can’t avoid receiving complaints but can take the right approach to dealing with them.  

The Value of Effective Complaint Management 

Customers complain about a range of reasons, and those complaints are often more valuable than you’d think. Reports tell us that only a handful of customers actually complain to a company directly; the rest (91%) leave and buy what they need from a different company.  

This means a complaint is an opportunity for you to prevent your customer from abandoning your brand. Studies show that 83% of customers feel more loyal towards brands that actively respond to and resolve their complaints. 

Complaints are also a chance for you to spot problems that might cause other customers to churn before they have a massive impact on your retention rates.  

Even complaints about things beyond your control can be helpful. If you notice that customers regularly complain about service outages and issues, proactively contacting them when there’s a problem with the service could reduce their frustration.  

How to Handle Customer Complaints Correctly: Top Tips 

Dealing with a complaint quickly, effectively, and empathetically can be an excellent way to turn an unhappy customer into a valuable advocate for your brand. One report from the Harvard Business Review found that customers who have their complaints handled in five minutes or less often spend more time with a company in the future.  

So, how do you master complaint management? 

Step 1: Listen and Empathise 

Listening is the key to resolving complaints correctly. It’s easy to get defensive when speaking to a frustrated customer, but they’ve contacted your company for a reason. It’s your job to get to the bottom of the problem with empathy.   

Train your agents to use active listening practices like open-ended questioning to ensure they understand the root cause of the customer’s problems. Collecting details about a customer’s order history, details, previous complaints, and issues will make it easier to resolve customer issues quickly. Plus, it ensures that if, for any reason, an agent needs to transfer a call to someone else, the customer won’t have to repeat themselves and start from scratch—a very frustrating practice that’s all too common.  

Of course, only if you are in the wrong, but sometimes, all your customer really wants is for someone to apologise and acknowledge their frustration.  

Studies have shown that customers are more willing to forgive and keep buying from a company that apologises for its mistakes. However, don’t just stop with an apology; thank the customer for bringing the issue to your attention. Then, if possible, it’s time to solve the problem… 

Step 2: Find a Solution 

Some complaints are easy to resolve. If a customer is unhappy with the quality of a product they’ve bought, you can offer them a refund or replacement. Other issues are a little more complex. For instance, a service outage can’t always be resolved quickly. Have clear guidelines available for the team so they know how to handle the issue, clear lines of escalation, and empowerment to make judgment calls to resolve issues to the customer’s satisfaction.  

Step 3: Record Their Feedback  

As mentioned above, complaints are more valuable than they seem. They can offer incredible insights into ways your company can improve and evolve. The only way to detect opportunities for growth is to record your customer’s feedback and look for patterns.  

Examine any complaints you have received and brainstorm ways to prevent the same issue from happening again. Detailed data dashboards can be key to help quickly analyse and action such insight. 

Step 4: Be Proactive  

Complaints might disappear when you solve a customer’s problem, but the frustration they feel towards your company can linger. The best way to repair the relationship is to follow up. Send an email or SMS asking for feedback on how the complaint was handled and if you can do anything else to aid them. Maybe offer a further discount or promotion or flag their account to prioritise care should the issue re-arise. Is it something you are looking to fix on your transformation roadmap, why not keep your customers updated?  

Optimising the Complaint Management Process 

Complaints are important. They offer feedback on your product and service and give you a second chance to retain and develop a loyal customer. However, handling complaints well and consistently can be challenging.   

At DDC OS, we offer a solution. We can provide access to an outsourced complaints service team, expanding your capacity or handling complaints management as a whole, ensuring you can respond quickly and compliantly to customers when complaints arise.  

With a little extra help, you can turn complaints from a daunting prospect into something that helps your company grow.  
 
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With that in mind, in this final instalment of Collaborative Innovation: Utilities & The Customer Experience, we dive into the collaboration between outsourcers and utility suppliers (and organisations in the ecosystem).   

When it comes to utilities and outsourcing, one of the key considerations should be – as we discussed earlier in this blog series – how to combine back-office processes and customer services. You can increase your value for money with outsourcing by creating a team capable of handling accounts from end to end – a team of super-agents, if you will. This increases the scope of services you can outsource to your provider and further eases your burden.   

Outsourcing Considerations 

Here at DDC OS, we have provided such services to the utility industry for a lifetime. From new entrants to challenger brands and established providers, we have experienced a host of challenges and have relished in delivering successful solutions for each. Such a range of projects has given us great insight into hitting the ground running with suppliers. So, here we discuss what you might want to consider when looking to collaborate with an outsourcer:  

• The Prenuptial.
  Outsourcing can be scary for some, especially if it’s the first time. The client may feel apprehensive and worried they would lose their connection with their service and customers. We embrace this and work with our clients to test their exit plan as they would test for disaster recovery. It’s great to be open about this – portability is so important, and we make sure we construct our solutions with this in mind. This approach builds loyalty!
   
• Measurable Outcomes.
  At some point somewhere, the decision to outsource was made with a business case in mind…cost, experience and scale. Keep that front and centre and measure constantly; after all, you will need to report your progress to the board!
   
• Outsource for Value, Not Just for Cost Savings.
  It’s really simple but get it wrong and you end up with the wrong type of supplier that can be very damaging to your customer’s brand.
   

• Integrated.
  It’s a bit like collaboration but better…it must still be part of your business with the same systems, services and promises.
   
• Outsourcing Maturity.
  You may be very mature in your outsourcing approach, and this might be the third or fourth generation…but don’t be complacent. Use this time to re-establish a connection with your services, lift the bonnet, ask the tough questions, fix something – don’t just move, fire, and forget. 

People, Expertise and Experience  

We’re delighted to have Jade Gash, Director of Utilities & Telecoms, here to discuss her experience of new and existing relationships with clients.  

 “The initial stages of a new project are essential. They can also be some of the most enjoyable; my role is all about building relationships, and discovery sessions are fundamental to that… the free cake often helps! That aside, clear, objective and honest communication is critical at this early stage. 

Here, the vital point is to understand the client’s objectives, ensure that we are a suitable partner, and then develop an appropriate solution to present.   

The onboarding phase is always challenging but in all the right ways! We introduce our wider team to the project, and things begin to take shape. Our early discovery sessions help to predict any bumps in the road so that we can really hit the ground running.  

The next phase is often the most exciting! Once campaigns are in a state of business as usual, we can begin looking at innovation and continuous improvement. That might be something day to day that we look to improve in a specific area or developing new reporting. Or it may be something more substantial, such as collaborating with our extensive network to deliver innovation that creates either operational or cost efficiencies for our clients.”   

Why DDC OS?  

OK, so you’ve got this far, and you’re ready to start your outsourcing journey, but in such a competitive market you are wondering, why should we choose DDC OS? Well, here are a few reasons that we believe make us the partner of choice:   

Extensive Experience:
Since 2015, we have been working with utility organisations; from suppliers to metering and software, we have implemented solutions at various stages of the customer journey. Because of this, we have a unique insight into the challenges that an outsourcer can support with.  

A Customer-Centric Approach:
As an established customer service provider, our 30+ years of knowledge help us understand a customer’s various touchpoints and deliver a service based on empathy and empowerment; we become an extension of your brand.   

Driving CX & Operational Efficiencies:
By being able to support customers through our contact centre and manage their accounts and ensure that behind the scenes are operating effectively, our multiskilled team can deliver better value: one team, one experience. 
 

“We hope you’ve enjoyed our short blog series in recent weeks; we are so excited to be at Utility Week Live. It would be great to talk about your outsourcing needs at the event or sooner! Please feel free to get in touch with me. Best wishes, Jade.”  

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Best Practice Considerations  

In outsourcing, we handle customer services for a range of brands in various markets. We, therefore, have a unique view on communication as a whole and how the outsourcer-client relationship can impact the end-user. With that in mind, we want to consider some of the areas where clear communication can be compromised if not monitored effectively.  

• The Importance of First Impressions  

The cost of customer acquisition is not to be underestimated – nor is the importance of retention. Fundamental to both elements is a good first impression; a successful customer onboarding can have a lasting impact. It is natural for people to expect a seamless, faultless service – they aren’t just paying for supply; they are paying for a smooth experience alongside it.  

Is your customer journey designed to send clear and timely communications to new customers? Are they kept up to date with progress? Are the complicated back-office tasks concealed from them to offer a seemingly easy process?  

Clear and proactive communication can help create a lasting, positive first impression. This increases the chance of future retention and, should an issue occur, customers are more likely to handle it with restraint and understanding than if they’d had a poor experience.  

• Clear Internal Communication  

The customer care team directly engage with your customers; they hear first-hand how your customers feel, what is and isn’t working, and present a real opportunity to impart knowledge that can drive positive change across your customer journey.    

Moreover, as they are often the first direct interaction your customers have with your brand, it’s imperative to ensure they are knowledgeable, empowered and empathetic to deliver the experience you would hope for.  

Knowledge – if your customers are experiencing significant change, for example, with the price cap news, make sure that your team are all on the same page; that they understand the impact on the customer base and have the correct information and relevant resources to share. 

Empathy – this doesn’t mean apologising to the customer five times before the end of their query, nor does it mean always accepting fault. It does, however, mean listening, understanding and acting.   

Empowerment – do the team have the skills, insight and authorisation to act accordingly? If yes, the customer will be served correctly and competently. As highlighted by the CCMA, being passed to another advisor or department are two of the top three causes of customer effort.   

Innovative Supplier Communication 

The challenges of successful communication in the utilities sector cannot be underestimated, with the customer demographic being incredibly varied. Consequently, so are the communication preferences; some segments of the customer base will be digitally savvy, engaging with apps and messaging services (like WhatsApp), whilst some prefer to receive communications physically in their mail.   

Clear data preferences for your customers are step one; ensuring they are being reached is the next. If messages aren’t delivered effectively, you will likely see contact rates for your call centre rise and, in turn, so will costs. In response to this, we have witnessed a lot of innovation in this space, no less than with AI. Reviewing historical data, understanding patterns, both negative and positive, and automatically suggesting communications to drive appropriate customer responses.   

Communicating with your Outsourcer 

Does outsourcing your customer services mean that there are no more headaches? No. Will every interaction end with the perfect outcome? Unfortunately, not. But your relationship can naturally affect your customers.  

An outsourcer can be seen as a service provider and nothing further – this can work and be successful. It can, however, foster a negative environment that does not have trust and doesn’t allow for quick resolutions, consequently impacting the customer journey. Or, the supplier and outsourcer can decide to approach challenges collectively, working to resolve and agree on a way forward that benefits all parties, taking the time to recognise and celebrate success. 

At DDC OS, the focus is very much on a collaborative approach. We want to be seen as an extension of the client’s team – as colleagues. This enables the rich insight we gain to be communicated and actioned effectively. Thankfully that is a sentiment shared by our clients, including Shell Energy Retail. Andy Eadle, Director of Customer Operations, commented on the importance of partnership to himself and the Shell Energy Retail team: 

“Our Partners are a key part of our organisation. From our commitment to ensuring National Living Wage to our management communication, recognition and monthly business update meetings, all include our partners. The rationale is fairly simple; our partners provide service to our customers, so why would we treat them any differently to our directly employed staff? When managing partner relationships, the first place to start is to ensure you are set up to treat that partner as part of your own team – this, in my experience, is the basis of success.” 

Are you looking to improve your customer communications? Or, have an opinion on this matter? We’d love to hear from you.   

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As customers, we all expect the best possible service when we need help; issues must be sorted quickly and efficiently to keep a customer base loyal and happy. However, there are those customers classed as vulnerable that require a more accessible experience. Vulnerable customers are of the highest priority to both Ofgem and utility suppliers, making quality customer service paramount – particularly after the destabilising impact of recent events; ‘The social and economic disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic can only increase pressure […] to mitigate the difficulties facing vulnerable households’. 

So, what does vulnerable mean in the utilities sector? According to Ofgem, ‘the term vulnerability applies when personal circumstances and characteristics combine with aspects of the market to make a consumer significantly less able than a typical customer to protect or represent their interests in the energy market’. It’s imperative that agents can recognise these customers and that they are proactively looking and listening for signs that such a customer may need assistance. 

Service with Empathy 

There is a reason why customers still like to talk to a human being versus an automated system, and that is the need for an emotional response of some sort. Suppose the customer is struggling due to a disability or difficult circumstance. In that case, they want to know that they are being understood and handled effectively and considerately by their supplier rather than just becoming another contact.  

Empathy – not to be confused with sympathy, which is the ability to express pity without necessarily understanding the other’s feelings – in the context of the workplace simply means that your people can establish genuine, empathetic connections with one another that enhance relationships and performance. It is not difficult to see the valuable role this plays in customer service, where agents are the gateway between your brand and vulnerable individuals. This, of course, requires trained, highly skilled agents that can identify and support the most vulnerable to the best of their ability. 

Innovation for Vulnerable Customers 

Innovation will continue to develop the access and tools on offer to vulnerable people and households in the coming years, creating a more inclusive market. Across sectors such as banking and utilities, we have seen the automated conversion of letters using Widgit. Widgit is a symbol-based language used predominantly for people with learning disabilities. This practical innovation allows people to receive communications in a way they can understand.  

It will be interesting in the coming years to see the role AI and, more specifically, sentiment analysis plays in supporting vulnerable households. Contact centres are fantastic sources of customer data so there is great scope for development in this. Sentiment analysis powered by AI can analyse conversations for tone and emotions, ‘which can be particularly useful during stressful situations or more complex issues’ as per Call Centre Helper. ‘If you know how your customers feel, you can provide them with the appropriate response. With the support of an AI-powered virtual assistant, you can also receive insights into the customers’ emotions during a conversation and handle the call more efficiently.’ 

The Benefits of an Experienced Partner 

With the industry’s current troubles, customer experience might not feel like the most pressing priority from a business perspective. Protecting and serving vulnerable customers provides a different area of focus, stretching resources further, so what if an outsourcer could take this on for you? 

As experts in this field, DDC OS can relieve the pressure and stress of delivering excellent service to vulnerable customers, bringing many years of industry knowledge and experience with us.

We can collaborate with in-house teams, knowledge-sharing for the best outcome for all parties. Additionally, DDC OS has multilingual capabilities at our disposal, a great tool to help reach broader markets and offer more inclusive services.  

Sounds good, right? Begin your conversation by reaching out to us today!   

Look out for the final instalment in our blog series, where we offer a supplier’s guide to working with an outsourcer, going into more depth about the benefits of outsourcing to an experienced partner.  

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As stated by Five9, the intelligent cloud contact centre: “It is important to understand that as a business grows, the technical capabilities need to continue to meet the organisational needs. Today, the contact centre is the front door to businesses, and companies need to provide fast and reliable solutions for their contact centres to serve customers’ needs, even if expectations continuously evolve.” Brian Atkinson, General Manager EMEA.
 

Customer Service as a Differentiator  

When choosing an energy provider, the customer’s number one priority is cost (as per Which). But with rising energy prices, what is next in line?  Unsurprisingly, it is better customer service – with Which highlighting it as ‘a key reason for a quarter (23%) moving their business elsewhere’.   

As these figures exemplify, customer service is as important as ever and is becoming a matter of differentiation between suppliers. So, what should a business be focussing on here to keep their customers happy? 

1. Prevention as a cure: Successful customer retention comes when energy providers concentrate on creating a seamless back-office experience that reduces the likelihood of customers needing to contact them. They offer a range of self-service options to users so that they can handle their own issues. In fact, 40% of customers prefer self-serve options to actual human contact (as per Super Office).  

2. First contact resolution: Regardless of how great a business is at step one; the reality is there will always be a level of inbound customer contact. When this happens, it is vital to reduce customer effort. A key way to do that is to ensure issues are resolved the first time by utilising a team of people who are educated on services, empowered to implement resolutions and respond with empathy. Reducing the number of times a customer has to make contact about the same issue can significantly impact a business’s operational costs. 

3. Staying ahead of the game: It’s not enough to get things working well now, even though future-proofing processes and technology are ongoing challenges. Keeping up with the channels customers want to utilise for contact is challenging enough, but innovation as well? It’s a lot for any business to handle but is a vital element in delivering an exceptional CX.
    

Branding as a Support for Customer Service  

A positive brand recognition can undoubtedly impact customer service, as it helps to build loyalty with your customers and therefore reduce the impact of negative interactions. As part of this, it is vital to show customers you are serious about the issues that matter to them, for example, with green credentials.   

Recent YouGov research suggests that over 50% of adults in the UK make purchase decisions based on a brand’s eco-credentials, reinforcing the point that brands need to show interest and action in the areas that matter to their customers more than ever.  

Our innovative friends over at Switchd and MakeMyHouseGreen shared with us their insight on this matter:  

“If we think of ‘Brand’ as the collection of thoughts and feelings the customer holds about our business or product, it’s clear that it can’t be separated from customer service. At MakeMyHouseGreen.com and Switchd.co.uk, the brand we are striving for is one which puts service and the ‘effortless experience’ at its core while helping to deliver environmentally friendly energy solutions. That means delivering on our promises, communicating well and helping the customer feel they are in control. 

With MakeMyHouseGreen, we aim to facilitate informed green home decisions by providing accurate and impartial data alongside expert advice. Likewise, with Switchd, our aim is for our members to feel confident and comfortable that they are always on their best home energy deal.  

Linking our brand with our customer service also means that looking for feedback opportunities and measuring customer success is paramount. Mike, who has MakeMyHouseGreen to thank for the solar panels on his roof, left a five-star review on TrustPilot saying how he loved not having to deal with ‘your typical salesman pitch’. Mike had ‘tried for quotes from a few other places and their communication was terrible and this was what made MakeMyHouseGreen stand out’.” 

Connecting the Dots

A major component of best-in-class customer service is ensuring that when a customer does contact you, they are dealt with quickly and efficiently by that initial person – guaranteeing a good first impression. As discussed in our recent blog regarding reducing customer effort, research showed that being passed to another person or department is the primary cause of customer dissatisfaction. With this in mind, we want to highlight the power of a back office and front office aligned solution. 

First contact resolution rates are a core metric of high performing contact centres. The more times a customer needs to contact you, the more disgruntled they become and the more they increase your operational costs. To help reduce this, you could turn to the ‘super-agent’ approach:  

A super-agent can handle almost any customer query; they understand key pain points and the relevant solutions. They have a broad understanding of the systems they work on to handle anything from a billing enquiry to a general supply question. It’s something we are proud of here at DDC OS; as specialists in both back-office processing and customer services, we have been able to harness that expertise and transfer that knowledge through extensive training and process mapping. This means that, along with prioritising first contact resolution, our agents can proactively look to fix everything they see on the account and not necessarily just what the customer is calling to resolve. 

Moreover, as innovation begins to impact our customer interactions through self-serve options and proactive communication, contact centre teams will naturally focus more and more on complex tasks – increasing the demand for super-agents. This will amplify the importance of retention, career progression and pay – all critical factors in building this team of brand ambassadors.   

Innovation can also help with the development of these super-agents. Here are a few options to consider:  

• Knowledge Management Software: “With a well-organised knowledge base, agents can quickly find resources relevant to their customers’ problems. And, when integrated with chatbots, knowledge bases can answer questions automatically, reducing the time agents need to spend on simple, repetitive issues. Plus, knowledge bases provide additional context that allows agents to better assist customers one on one. In short, knowledge management software makes customer support agents more productive.” Zendesk. 
   
• Quality & Training: there are a range of software providers on the market that focus on automating elements of quality and training. Providers such as Score Buddy promise to: ‘Engage and upskill your agents with dashboards that provide immediate feedback. Deliver targeted training & coaching using a full-service LMS to fill knowledge gaps.’ Such targeted training ensure agents are focussing on the areas they need to improve on as individuals, so they are not wasting time concentrating on areas they already excel at.  

Do get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how an outsourcer can help you deliver best in class customer service. We are happy to discuss how we have embraced collaborative innovation with our customers and partners and our network of suppliers who help drive improvements across our teams.  

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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 and is not being made that is worth discussing.  

We felt this was an appropriate time to reflect on the role of collaborative innovation within the sector, which is also the theme of the upcoming Utility Week Live, which we are delighted to be attending once more. As an outsourcer with established knowledge of working with utility suppliers and the wider eco-system, DDC Outsourcing Solutions fully understands the need for collaboration and innovative solutions to drive an exceptional customer experience.  

It is imperative to always be thinking of new and innovative ways to meet increasing customer expectations. Building positive customer relationships is directly linked to business success, as highlighted by Forbes – ‘With prosumers becoming more aware and involved in energy issues, utilities should capitalise on the opportunity for broader customer interactions by engaging with consumers directly through digital means and personalised marketing, and responding quickly to customer needs’.   

In this series of blogs, we hope to explore and evaluate the ever-changing world of customer service in the utility space. This will include thoughts on how to deliver best-in-class customer service, support vulnerable customers, the importance of communicating effectively, and a supplier’s guide to collaborating with an outsourcer.   

Having operated internationally for over 30 years now, we think we can add some ‘food for thought’ to these topics and would love to hear your points of view. Utility Week Live is designed to help attendees discover innovation and spark new ideas and actions, making it the perfect time to focus on these conversations.   

Look out for our next release, covering the know-how of delivering best-in-class customer service. Any questions or thoughts in the meantime? Get in touch!  

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