Sikom advises energy companies to make better use potential in customer service, the 4th May 2011 Heidelberg more than ever are the power provider in the focus of public interest. In addition to the manner in which the energy and electricity prices, also the customer service of utilities is increasingly strictly under the magnifying glass. Recently, a study by the German Institute for service quality (DISQ) it uncovered substantial deficits mainly during the processing of emails and the delays in telephone customer service. The Sikom Software GmbH advises the electricity suppliers to review therefore urgently their processes and systems, such as various communication channels and data banks and documents can be linked. Still great potential for better customer service into the connection of various information and communication tools according to the Heidelberg company.

All changed laws, rising energy prices, new entrants and growing willingness to change consumer Factors that can play a key role come to the customer service at the utilities. The customers have a growing need for information and expect that their requests are processed quickly. Many providers are visibly overwhelmed by this situation”, says Jurgen H. Hoffmeister, managing partner of Sikom Software GmbH. some respond to rising demands with a variety of small measures and changes, without however holistically look at the tasks and thus also the opportunities. But who’s telephone customer service, E-Mail and other communication channels, as well as the information and document management holistically, which can provide a real competitive advantage is.” According to the study of DISQ the 41 power provider and their customer service examined, the energy companies mainly in the processing of customer mails showed significant weaknesses. About one-third of the companies failed therefore to answer at least half of all incoming emails within a week.

For the the company required remaining emails at least two days a reply to the customers to come. Even when the telephone customer contact, waiting times were often too long. On average, a minute callers had to wait until they could speak to a service representative. To avoid excessive waiting in the processing of emails as well as telephone customer service, advises Sikom as far as possible to combine all information and communication channels. Sikom as, in addition to the automatic call distribution, recommends by the telephone waiting loops avoided or shortened be can forward emails and other documents upon receipt promptly to an appropriate employee. Ideally the customer data and customer documents are linked also to, that the existing telephone and written communications are displayed when calling a customer automatically. Energy companies such as the urban Werke AG in Kassel, RWE and the Stadtwerke Zwickau put already on solutions, the telephone customer service make not only faster, but with additional features that relieve caller and the service employees. For example, intelligent forwarders, capturing the count using the telephone keypad, the invoice data or automatic information in the event of a fault can include”, explains Jurgen H. Hoffmeister. The Lohr town utilities even goes so far, also customer-related documents such as E-Mails, faxes and letters as well as calls automatically to a free staff to be redirected. The call center becomes the connection telephony, document management, and customer data administration a real service centre. This way are and need to go in the future also other providers.”