Thousands of homes across the South East of England were recently left without water after freezing temperatures caused burst water mains and leaks. Water companies soon faced increased pressure from the public, demanding to know when the water supply was likely to be restored and how to obtain bottled water.
As a result, the pressure is on for water companies to better handle extreme weather incidents – MPs have called for a public inquiry and water regulator, Ofwat, is to investigate why thousands of homes were left without a mains supply for three days.
In the aftermath, with extreme weather events forecast to become a regular fixture, now is the time for utility companies of all shapes and sizes to take stock of how they ensure the same thing doesn’t happen every winter.
Here are three key considerations every operation should take into account when doing so:
Use forward planning and predictive analytics to identify issues before they happen
It goes without saying that every operation in today’s digitally ambitious environment must be data-driven. Utility companies must ensure they are making the most of the wealth of data they have.
By leveraging data effectively, organisations can make timely and effective decisions by highlighting what’s working and what’s not before it impacts the customer.
Ultimately, the use of forward planning and predictive analytics will help improve operational efficiencies and customer experiences, especially when the pressure is on.
Proactive and clear customer communications is a must to build trust
A breakdown in communication was a key criticism of water companies, who failed to update customers as to when the water pressure would return to normal. In learning from this, other utilities providers must ensure they have a dedicated crisis comms team in place to communicate with their customers, hear their grievances and try to aid them as best they can.
They must anticipate what the customer needs, before the customer even knows what they want or need. Whether that’s proactive forms of communication or tailoring customer interactions, companies must see people not just as numbers, but as individuals with their own needs. Failure to do so will leave customers unsatisfied, problems unsolved and the customer looking elsewhere for an alternative service provider.
Align front and back office operations to improve consistency
Ensuring information and data required by the front office is delivered properly by the back office, is key in delivering a consistent customer experience during times of emergency. It enables back office teams to improve the speed and accuracy of customer service when it’s most needed.
City of Tallahassee Utility Services is a great example of a company that has successfully introduced workforce management solutions to align its back office teams – significantly improving employee productivity and performance, helping them to meet the demands of its 200,000 customers.
While the recent water crisis highlighted some major issues in the way extreme weather events are handled, there are many positive lessons that can be taken from it. First and foremost, the key to an organisation keeping its head above water during an extreme weather crisis is investing in the appropriate processes and technology to manage their work and people more effectively.
A good starting point is the back office. By blending operations from the call centre to the ground, resources will be unleashed to play a major role in responding to and improving the customer experience.