Customer Experience for Energy & Utilities: Remodelled for 2023

Time is ticking. ⏰ In an incredibly volatile market, one wrong move in customer experience, or the lack of a movement thereof, might cost you your whole business.

In the midst of the escalating Australian energy crisis and unprecedented price hikes, energy retailers are teetering on the edge with keeping their customers. With a staggering 20-30% surge in energy prices, consumers are hit with a financial strain which may shift their conditions and their priorities in staying with a provider.

Customers today are encouraged to shift providers every 12 months to ensure that they get the best deal out of their energy plans- in price and in value. 23% of customers are frequently investigating switching providers, signalling a potential impending exodus for businesses should they remain status quo. Today’s customers demand more, and trust less.

Retailers must accept that failure to swiftly improve and adopt the Next-Gen Customer Experience risks losing their clients to merciless competitors. Inefficient processes result in additional costs, more churn from customers, then raising the market price and in turn, less adoption, and it only gets worse as long as you remain stagnant. The time for innovation, reinvention, and customer fortification is now. This involves balancing quality service delivery, streamlined backend activities, while ensuring sustainability efforts to remain top-of-mind for customers.

Let’s dive into some of the key challenges and what the current landscape should look like:

Current Customer Experience Challenges

• Inaccuracy, Complexity, Lack of Timeliness in Billing: Due to the complexity of navigating legacy systems and relying on manual processes, billing may be delayed or contain errors. Customers expect accurate billing, which relies on correct data across systems and operators.
• Limited Responsiveness and Lack of Self-Service Enablement for Customers: Customers want timely assistance, particularly for urgent concerns. The lack of usage visibility and response management increases distrust, leading customers to consider other providers.
• Lack of Better Deals Worth the Cost: Customers who feel they are not receiving value for their money are more likely to switch providers, whether due to finding better deals elsewhere or experiencing poor service.

Remodelled Customer Experience in 2023

• Accurate Customer Data Across all the facets of the business
  • Customer 360: Store all customer details in a single source of truth with integrations across the entire business to ensure accurate information capture.
  • Easy Billing and Quoting: Develop pricing rules and discount schemes, allowing users to generate quotes quickly and efficiently.
  • Field Service Management: Monitor and manage off-field activities by technicians while obtaining customer approval for key transactions.
• Customer Engagements powered with Generative AI
  • Omni-Channel Routing: Efficiently route cases from any channel to your agents for efficient resolution based on availability, capacity, and skill set.
  • Enhanced Case Management & Incident Resolution: Manage conversations and diagnose incidents faster by identifying impacted assets and connecting with the right experts at the right time.
  • Personalised Replies & Knowledge Management: Develop a self-service portal empowering both agents and customers to find the best answers and resolve cases faster.
• Streamlined processes tailored for productivity and efficiency
  • Pipeline & Activity Management: Easily sync your engagement activities and address gaps in maintaining and managing opportunities.
  • Workflow & Process Automation: Automate complex processes and optimise strategies to ensure maximum ROI.
  • Collaboration & Optimisation: Keep all stakeholders informed from anywhere with automated notifications with a singular communication platform.

By implementing these changes, energy and utilities companies can enhance their customer experience, minimise costs, and meet the needs of the modern customer effectively.

Where ProQuest and Salesforce Can Help

ProQuest Consulting has been a leading Salesforce Consulting Partner servicing the energy & utilities sector since 2016.

Some of the benefits our clients have achieved by working with us include:

• Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Increased operational efficiency and cost savings
• Enhanced brand reputation and differentiation in the market
• Greater customer trust and willingness to engage with new energy offerings

With a presence in both NSW and Victoria, we collaborate with clients to bring their business vision to life through Salesforce solutions. Whether you are using a legacy system or already have a Salesforce system, we aim to empower you to reach your current business goals. Message us for a quick consultation on your current system.