35.7 million British adults believe gas and energy firms aren’t fully supporting them through the cost-of-living crisis. This research reveals that only 14% of adults believe utilities provide a personal service which helps customers feel recognised. Further, only 20% of Brits say they offer the right contact channel to suit their preferences.
Between January and March 2022, Citizens Advice reported its consumer service helpline saw more than 70,000 cases related to energy issues. This is a 63% increase from the same period in 2021. They further reported that phone wait times to suppliers increased on average by two minutes. Email response times were also getting slower. To keep up with the rise of customer interactions, energy companies have embarked on mass-hiring sprees.
“The pandemic saw a steep fall in customer service across every industry, and while utility companies are trying to do everything they can during this crisis period, they could go even further by utilising technologies like CCaaS solutions. There is still more work that can be done to improve customer experience,” commented Neil Titcomb, Managing Director UKI at Odigo.
“During these difficult times, utility companies must give their employees the tools and technology to properly succeed. Provide customers with the service that is needed. Now more than ever, customers are seeking the support, attention and comfort that only a contact centre can provide through genuine human interactions,” concluded Titcomb.
However, issues with customer service quality did not start in this energy crisis. In 2021, the same study reported 37% of people were waiting too long to connect to an agent. A further 33% said they had to repeat themselves and give the same information twice or more.