Customer Journey Workshop 3rd June

1
Customer Journey Workshop 3rd June

• energywatch Closedown and Cutover Plans
• newNCC Complaint Handling Model
• newNCC Information Requirements
• newNCC Interface with Advice Agencies

2
Closedown Cutover Plans

• Objectives
• Seamless transition for consumers to new
  arrangements
• Support go live of new arrangements from 1st
  October
• All consumers continue to received the help they
  need
• Compliance with statutory obligations
• Minimise work carried forward to newNCC

3
energywatch Case Volumes
4
Proposed Transitional Arrangements

• Agree Cutover Plan with stakeholders
• Preparation for Cutover (June/July)
• Set up Shadow Extra Help Unit and Interim Team in
  energywatch
• Implement Cutover Plan on 4th August (new cases
  to call centre)
• Call centre resolves cases using agreed
  transition arrangements
• Providing Advice and Information
• Empowerment referral to supplier
• Signpost to redress or other agency
• Referral to Shadow Extra Help Unit (vulnerable
  only)
• Referral to Shadow Interim Team
• Transfer to other energywatch offices (existing
  cases only)
• Closing energywatch offices focus on clearing
  live case load

5
Proposed Transition Timetable (1)

• June
• Preparation of Call Centre Transition Training
  Plan
• New Call Types
• New contact channels
• New complaint handling model
• Complex enquiries
• July
• Call Centre Ramp Up
• Training Delivery for Transition Plan
• Consumer Direct Training commences (end July)
• August
• All new calls directed to call centre (complete
  by 11th August)
• Web, email letters to call centre (complete by
  18th August)
• Call centre handles new cases using transitional
  arrangements

6
Proposed Timetable (2)

• w/c 22nd September
• Closure of web and email contact channels
• Redirect post from closing offices to Interim
  Team (25th)
• Residual live cases transferred to Interim Team
  (25th)
• Removal of IT equipment from 4 closing office
  (26th)
• Switch over Call Centre to CD call handling
  system (27th)
• Implement CD to newNCC referral process (29th)
• Telephone switchover to CD and new NCC (30th)
• Closure of energywatch web site (30th)
• energywatch closed (30th)
• From 1st October
• All telephone contacts to Consumer Direct (Energy
  Post)
• Consumer Direct and newNCC websites live
• newNCC Extra Help Unit and Interim Teams
  operational

7
newNCC Complaint Handling

• Essential to ensure operational readiness for 1st
  October
• Key area of reputational risk (avoid Terminal 5
  scenario)
• Retain some extra capacity and contingency for
  transitional period
• Minimise changes required to systems/processes
  during transition
• Extra Help Unit
• Largely resourced from energywatch Glasgow staff
• Majority of workload will be energy cases
• Use energywatch service mail system
• Adapt energywatch complaint handling processes
• Research on needs and service preferences of
  vulnerable consumers
• Agreed Vulnerable definition
• Establish protocols to support referral pathways
• Agree Complaint Handling Model with Industry

8
Role of Extra Help Unit

• Referrals of Vulnerable energy cases from
  Consumer Direct, Ofgem and Redress Scheme
• Referrals of Disconnection cases from Consumer
  Direct, Ofgem and Advice Agencies
• Referrals of Vulnerable postal cases from
  Consumer Direct, Postcomm and Redress Scheme
• Referrals from MPs
• Provision of support and information to Advice
  Agencies

9
Interim Team (Oct 2008 to March 2009)

• Clear residual live energy cases
• Handle follow up contacts on cases closed in
  previous quarter
• Support Extra Help Unit on vulnerable cases
  (until EHU is fully staffed)
• Receive, sort/scan letters (until redirected to
  Consumer Direct)
• Forward new non vulnerable cases to Consumer
  Direct
• Forward vulnerable cases to Extra Help Unit
• Provide back up advice to Consumer Direct on
  complex enquiries
• Support Call Centre on any non vulnerable cases
  which cannot be resolved by empowerment and are
  out of scope for Redress Scheme
• Handle any High Level/MP cases (until migrated
  to Extra Help Unit)

10
newNCC Complaint Handling

• Case types
• Priority Cases (s13 Duties) Disconnection PPM
  Off Supply
• Vulnerable Cases (s12 Powers - Vulnerable
  Guidelines)
• Investigated Complaints
• Empowered Complaints
• Enquiries
• Signpost/Referral to Energy Ombudsman
• Other cases (mainly MPs)
• Out of Scope Cases

11
Complaint Handling Priority Cases
Supplier Arranges appointment with metering
agent and/or takes appropriate action. Provides
update to newNCC.

• newNCC
• Customer call transferred
• from Consumer Direct or
• other agency
• Establish facts, advise
• consumer update
• Servicemail
• Telephone supplier, agree
• actions request GSS or
• goodwill payment (if
• appropriate)

newNCC Contacts consumer to make sure agreed
actions undertaken and consumer
satisfied. Closes case or escalates to supplier
if not resolved
newNCC Contacts consumer and provides update
Definition Priority cases are disconnections,
threatened disconnections or prepayment off
supply cases. Targets 95 of cases resolved by
next working day. Consumers supply restored
within 3 or 4 hours (per Guaranteed Standards)
12

• Complaint Handling Vulnerable Cases

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Case closed

• newNCC
• Receive case from
• Consumer Direct or
• other agency record in
• servicemail
• Initial Investigation
• Email/telephone supplier
• Acknowledge to consumer
• In 2 working days

Supplier Investigate and respond to consumer
and newNCC within 10 working days

• newNCC
• Receive and review
• response from
• supplier within 10
• working days
• Discuss with consumer
• close case or
• challenge supplier

• Targets (Investigated Complaints)
• 75 of cases resolved in 35 working days
• 95 of cases resolved in 66 working days

13
newNCC Complaint Handling

• Empowered Complaints (Mid Call Transfer or Email)
  
• Vulnerable consumer referred by Consumer Direct
  but now able to deal directly with Company
• Enquiries (Target Resolve 95 in 10 working
  days)
• Consumer not dealt with supplier but unable to do
  so
• Information required from previous supplier to
  resolve a complaint
• Signpost or Referral to Energy Ombudsman
• newNCC and consumer unhappy with response from
  company
• Out of Scope
• Consumer signposted to other advice agency
  because issue is outside newNCCs remit

14
Complaints Workload and Resources

• Notes
• newNCC figures exclude postal cases
• Transition resource includes support for Consumer
  Direct, handling redirected correspondence, work
  on former energywatch cases contingency
  provision
• 3. Case forecasts and FTE requirements to be
  reviewed in July

15
newNCC Complaint Handling

• Chase Reconciliation Process
• Weekly list to reconcile new cases
• Weekly list to chase cases gt 10 days old
• Escalation Process
• Responses not received from company
• Consumer Advisor is unable to resolve issues to
  consumers satisfaction
• Consumer escalates case
• MP complaints or other high level cases
• Disputes Process
• Categorisation issues
• Case recorded against wrong company

16
Company Performance Industry Engagement

• Adapt/Develop energywatch Company Performance
  model
• Establish new sources of consumer intelligence
• Performance Monitoring Publishing Performance
  Data
• Representation on Industry governance bodies
• Confidence Code and accreditation of price
  comparison sites
• Development of Company Performance model to
  another sector

17
External Interfaces

• Provision of support to enable advice agencies to
  deal directly with most vulnerable consumers
  (without need to refer to newNCC)
• Access to consumer intelligence to support
  Company Performance and Campaigns activity
• Direct referral of disconnection/off supply cases
• Agree arrangements with Consumer Direct for
  transfer of other vulnerable cases

18
Support to Advice Agencies

• Training Materials and Training Delivery
• Fact Sheets Consumer Leaflets
• Price Comparison Leaflets
• newNCC Knowledge Base or Manual
• Ask a Question facility
• Ask the Advisor Telephone Service

19
Sources of Consumer Intelligence

• newNCCs Extra Help Unit
• Feedback of consumer issues (via web portal)
• Representation on Stakeholder Forums
• Complaints Information from Ofgem/Companies
• Complaints Information from Consumer Direct
• Complaints Information from Redress Scheme
• Web sources

20
Company Information Requirements

• newNCC has power to obtain information duty to
  publish
• Information on complaints received by companies
• Information on compliance with complaint handling
  standard
• newNCC will seek to publish timely, accurate
  information that
• Helps consumers understand performance of
  companies
• Helps consumers to make an informed choice of
  supplier
• Includes direct complaints made to suppliers
• Reflects performance and is consistent between
  suppliers
• Shows service for key categories (billing,
  marketing, prepayment)
• Incentivises suppliers to deliver improved
  performance
• newNCC will
• Review changes required to current energywatch
  approach
• Discuss plans to publish information with
  companies
• Take into account feedback from consumers
• Review approaches in other sectors (CCWater,
  Topcomm etc)

21
Company Information Requirements

• Proposed Information requirements
• Number of complaints and repeat complaints
  received
• Number of complaints resolved at first point of
  contact
• Number of complaints unresolved after 24 hours
• Time taken to resolve complaints (e.g. 0-10, lt28,
  gt 28 days)
• Total number of agent handled calls, web/emails
  and letters
• Number of referrals from Consumer Direct time
  taken to resolve
• Number of Ombudsman cases number of deadlock
  letters
• Areas for further consideration
• Publication content, format, scope and timing
• Frequency of reporting (monthly or quarterly)
• Co-ordinating information requirements with Ofgem
• Interim/transitional arrangements
• Publication of complaints information for network
  companies
• Additional information requirements in service
  recovery situations