Energy companies enhance customer service through mobile

With fuel poverty in the UK reaching all time highs, households continue to look for the best deal available in the market. However, it's extremely important that utility companies do not forget about customer service as this can be a key differentiator from the competition as well as an effective route to building customer loyalty and retaining customers.

 

Many utility companies have been criticised for customer service and recent Which? research revealed that only 6 out of 16 energy suppliers had an average waiting time of less than 2 minutes with one provider having an average waiting time of 17 minutes and 5 seconds. I imagine most people would be gritting their teeth if they had been on hold for this long and seeing red. One of the most frustrating experiences customers have is being left on hold and waiting for their call to be answered.

When it comes to valuing customers, Which? also found that providers were slower to answer calls from existing customer than new prospective customers. I suspect many people will not be surprised to hear this as when it comes to valuing existing customers from energy suppliers, expectations are pretty low.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, stated: “If energy companies want to restore trust in the industry they must work harder to make people feel confident that customer service is a top priority, and stop putting sales over service.”

How can mobile help utility companies enhance customer service?

Mobile can be an effective way to reduce the number of calls made to customer service departments, helping improve call answer times and reduce the number of irate customers. For example, SMS can be used for sending information regarding outages ensuring that when customer service is affected, they are notified immediately and are kept updated as to when the outage is expected to be fixed. This helps greatly reduce the number of calls made to customer service departments, as well as managing expectations of customers.

Another way of strengthening the customer relationship is by keeping utility customers updated as to when an engineer will be arriving at their premises. It can be very frustrating having to sit in the house unable to go out as you are unsure of when the engineer will be expected to arrive.

SMS messages can also be used for sending general customer information such as details about usage and billing as well as helping customers stay informed and in control of their accounts. Even better, by sending details about energy usage allows customers to monitor and reduce their consumption, leading to more content customers.

Severn Trent Water has recently become the first utility supplier to provide non-Direct Debit customers with the ability to pay bills via a mobile payment application - Barclays Pingit. This helps customers pay bills simply and easily, helping improve the customer experience even further.

Mobile is certainly helping utility companies strengthen customer relationships in a variety of ways. Find out how energy suppliers can use mobile communications to build customer trust or read our Utilities section to find out more.

For further information regarding HSL Mobile, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

How important is security in instant messaging?

In recent years, we have witnessed instant messaging (IM) apps begin to enter the market with some speed. WhatsApp is a popular instant messaging app amongst consumers and recently reached 250 million users according to Digital Trends. However, for enterprises, security of IM apps is absolutely crucial as they transmit business data and confidential information.

Check Point found that 64% of UK enterprises stated external attacks had risen considerably in the last 12 months, with indirect internal data leaks rising more quickly. One of the difficulties was managing security across the organisation. These findings clearly highlight that new products and services added to enterprises need to already be secure.

A new survey reveals that a large proportion of UK enterprises (72%) have forbidden the use of public instant messaging (IM) software, such as MSN and Yahoo!, due to security concerns. Many enterprises were worried about team members downloading IM apps without their knowledge and possibly sending sensitive company information even though most believed IM could bring benefits to their enterprise. Another finding was that only 12% kept an audit trail of messages sent through public IM apps even though regulations state they must keep a log of all company information with some stating they didn't know they were required to keep an audit trail or they found it too complicated.

Gartner outlines security risks of IM apps which include:

• Eavesdropping - accessing data when wireless connection is not secure or attacks. 
• Device loss - losing the device and accessing data held on device. 
• Spoofing and hijacking - taking control over IM whilst team member is in the app. 
• Intentional data leakage through IM - through activities like file sharing. 
• Malware - received from contacts in IM.

Three key security measures which Gartner propose for IM apps are:

• Authentication 
• Encryption 
• Server Location

Firstly, one of the key security measures that enterprises should adopt with IM apps is authentication. Authentication seeks to ensure that the person accessing the IM app is indeed the correct user. It is suggested that for optimum security to be achieved, both the device and the user should be authenticated and it is recommended that enterprises ensure team members have a secure password when accessing the device.

Secondly, encryption is defined by Wikipedia as "the process of encoding messages (or information) in such a way that eavesdroppers or hackers cannot read it, but that authorized parties can". It is recommended that end-to-end encryption is used to reach optimal security but it was recognised that this feature is difficult to find in an IM app with BBM identified as not using end-to-end encryption. One of the reasons that many do not offer this feature is because it can be difficult to implement as the application must be installed on both mobile devices and be used by both users' devices.

Security can also vary depending on where the server is located. It is recommended that enterprises store the messaging server within their premises or they can alternatively use an IM company that holds a good reputation for security.

HSL Mobile's upcoming launch of IM/SMS, a messaging service that combines instant messaging (IM) with SMS, aims to give enterprises the most secure and far reaching messaging application for effective team communication. HSL Mobile’s IM/SMS is intended to meet the needs of enterprises around the world and enable teams to securely communicate whether they are based in the office or mobile. End-to-end security using strong encryption and long-term archiving of messages for regulatory compliance and oversight are some of the capabilities of the application and service.

Find more information by reading our Press Release: HSL Mobile Launch Secure Enterprise IM/SMS Messaging Service or please get in touch to learn more. You can also keep up to date with our developments by following us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+.

For further information regarding HSL Mobile, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Energy suppliers use mobile communications to build customer trust

Competition amongst energy suppliers remains fierce as players in the market and customer loyalty both remain low. Accenture found that 73% of customers said they would consider switching to other electricity suppliers and energy-related products and services. It is vital that energy companies build trust to help retain customers and enhance customer loyalty.

Accenture’s new Energy Consumer research revealed consumer trust was at its lowest in four years with only 1 in 8 UK customers trusting their energy provider to inform them of measures they could undertake to cut energy usage. Although 77% said that informing them about measures that they could take to cut energy use was important to developing trust with their utility supplier, only 65% confirmed that their utility supplier was currently carrying out such activities.

Other important features which ranked highly amongst customers when it comes to trusting energy suppliers were easy to understand pricing, accurate billing and reliable energy delivery. Recently, I rang my energy supplier to try and understand their pricing tariffs and make sure I was on the best deal and even though I have a higher math’s degree, it took a good 5 minutes to understand their pricing tariffs clearly.

How can mobile help energy companies build trust?

Accenture found that 38% would like to receive notifications about their energy usage to their mobile devices, and 50% would like online personalised tips on actions they can take to reduce their energy bill. By delivering such information to customers’ mobile devices provides customers not only with what they want, but it also gives them more control and a better understanding of their account as well as measures to cut energy usage. This helps increase customer trust for their utility supplier.

For utility supplier to provide easy to understand pricing and billing, SMS can also be used to send billing and pricing information to keep customers informed and ensure bills are paid on time. Smart meters with in-built SMS technology help customers learn more about their energy usage and improve accuracy in billing by providing real time data usage. This provides more transparency in pricing and billing making it easier for customers to understand their accounts and enhance the trust they have for suppliers.

When it comes to providing reliable energy delivery, SMS can also be used for sending information regarding any issues such as outages ensuring that when energy delivery is affected, customers are notified immediately and are kept updated as to when the issue is expected to be fixed. This helps greatly reduce the number of calls made to customer service departments, as well as managing expectations’ of customers and in turn, improving customer trust.

There are many ways in which mobile is helping energy companies enhance trust and strengthen customer relationships.  Find out how SMS solutions help monitor energy usage or read our Utilities section to find out more.

 

For further information regarding HSL Mobile, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Will IM really replace SMS?

There has been considerable debate surrounding the future of SMS communications in light of the growth of Instant Messaging (IM) apps. IM is being used in some communications as a replacement to SMS, and this has impacted on SMS revenues and growth.


According to Gartner, SMS is expected to retain its place as a leading messaging platform but there will be a continual decrease in growth due to other messaging platforms gaining ground in the market with others predicting growth will inevitably at some point go into decline. Informa Telecoms & Media found IM volumes overtook SMS last year with 19.1 billion messages being sent each day in 2012, compared with 17.6 billion SMS. They expect that the number of messages sent via IM will be double that of SMS by the end of 2013.

Why use IM?

Gartner outlines some of the reasons for the growth of IM which include the increase of social media networks and smartphone users. One of the great benefits of IM is that it provides messaging at a lower cost compared to SMS, and in many instances, is free. It also provides more rich messaging as users are able to easily transmit not only information, but pictures, video and group messages as well as authentication of message delivery.

For enterprises, instant messaging offers great benefits as they can communicate instantly with one another allowing them to converse freely without any time delays. IM suits the more frequent “chatty” interactions and has even replaced some face-to-face communication, as well as encouraging communication where none may have previously taken place. For enterprises with offices and staff around the world, IM provides an ideal channel for successful team communications which creates tangible benefits such as efficiencies and improved processes.

Will IM replace SMS?

Informa believes SMS will continue to grow for a number of reasons, including:

• Instant messaging has to achieve more traction and gain more users before it is widespread.
• Instant messaging users normally use SMS when conversing with non instant messaging users.
• SMS is beginning to see real growth in the enterprise mobile messaging market.

SMS is used for a number of purposes within enterprises such as transmitting information, sending emergency communications and for security purposes. Some of the benefits of SMS are that it provides immediate communication, reaches a wide audience, has high availability as it will often still work when coverage is poor and there is not an Internet connection and reports show that 97% of SMS are read within 15 minutes of receiving it.

There has been some concern regarding the security of SMS. Gartner recommends that enterprises overcome security issues by not just focusing on operators’ security, but also by looking at mobile device security. They recommend that enterprises use SMS to reach a large audience when data sensitivity is low but use other messaging options which incorporate end-to-end encryption for highly sensitive data such as IM.

HSL Mobile is launching an IM/SMS messaging service which is expected to encourage the use of SMS - where it is appropriate to be used - and enable the switching of messaging away from SMS where IM is more appropriate. It is additionally expected to help accelerate the adoption of IM within enterprises and to replace existing IM systems that deliver little benefit when compared with IM/SMS.

This combination of instant messaging and SMS brings together the respective benefits of IM and SMS in an enterprise messaging service and additionally excels in terms of security, reliability and regulatory compliance. We believe we've built a service that gives enterprises an exceptionally robust and secure messaging service, engineered so it can be depended on not only for regular chat between team members but for critical business processes.

Find more information by reading our Press Release: HSL Mobile Launch Secure Enterprise IM/SMS Messaging Service or please get in touch to learn more.  You can also keep up to date with our developments by following us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+. 

For further information regarding HSL Mobile, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com

Why retailers should go omni-channel

According to Wikipedia omni-channel retailing "is very similar to and an evolution of, multi-channel retailing, but is concentrated more on a seamless approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels, i.e. mobile internet devices, computers, bricks-and-mortar, television, catalog and so on."


As discussed in many other articles, we are able to uncover a tremendous amount of information quickly via the Internet and retailers must catch up and ensure they are not only getting found, but they are providing an easy to use and enjoyable customer experience regardless of the touch point used by the customer. This is really where omni-channel retailing comes in as it seeks to provide a consistent experience across all touch points.

Data collected from these touch points can also be used to send targeted promotions that are relevant to the shopper. As logic dictates, this increases the chances that shoppers will purchase from specific retailers. For example, imagine you are shopping in the city centre and are looking for a new suitcase for your holidays or a new suit for work, receiving a tailored promotion to your mobile when you are nearby a retail shop that sells these items increases the likelihood that you will purchase from that retail store, and makes the whole shopping process more simple and convenient for the customer.

Customers are coming to expect a consistent experience across all touch points and retailers should aim to deliver this or they will lose opportunities to capture new and existing customers. It is also important that shoppers can complete a purchase across various channels. For example, Argos now allows customers to check stock availability online from a number of stores, and then reserve this item from the closest store that has this item in stock. They will also receive a text message to confirm with details of when the product will be reserved until, helping customers buy products in a quick and convenient manner.

According to a recent survey, the biggest return on mobile today is from increased customer loyalty and personalisation - creating a more personal experience for the customer, rather than mobile transactions. Retailers are primarily adopting mobile strategies to increase customer loyalty and omni-channel can be used successfully to achieve this goal.

A paper by Koble discusses loyalty within the omni-channel as a particular benefit of implementing a uniform approach across all channels. Using real time data can help retailers engage with customers and send tailored messages at each touch point across various channels that are relevant to that individual customer. This method concentrates on engaging customers from the very beginning and throughout the customer journey, rather than sending only one campaign or using it for channels at the end. Rewards help increase brand loyalty and should be used wisely. However, retailers are still failing to use omni-channel effectively.

Another report by EKN, The First Annual Future of Stores Study, also shows that retailers still have some work to do when it comes to adopting an omni-channel approach to provide a personalised service. Gaurav Pant, Research Director for EKN, states "For retailers to be able to deliver such an experience, they need to align all channels to the lifetime value of customers, empower store associates at the point of interaction, infuse new digital experiences in-store, and aggressively integrate customer data, inventory and pricing across all channels."

As retailers move further into engaging with customers and increasing brand loyalty, omni-channel retailing can help make this possible. Find out how retailers can enhance the mobile shopping experience or read our Retail section to find out more about how mobile is transforming the retail sector. 

For further information regarding HSL Mobile, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com

follow us on LinkedIn, @hslmobile, Facebook or Google+

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260

or email us at sales@hslmobile.com