Energy retailer performance There are a number of reasons why a customer may contact their retailer. For example, customers may contact them to pay their bill, to ask about their bill or a better deal, to ask for payment assistance and sometimes to make a complaint. Price is important to customers, but so too is good customer service. This chapter discusses the customer experience with energy retailers, including: customer service and complaints assistance provided to customers with energy debt, such as energy concessions, payment plans and hardship programs the disconnection and reconnection of an energy service. Customer service to inquiries and complaints is an important measure of customer Retailers’ responsiveness service. Table 2.1 shows call centre responsiveness, specifically: percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds average time before a call is answered percentage of calls abandoned before being answered. Table 2.1: Phone calls to retailers in 2014-15, with percentage of calls answered in 30 seconds, average wait time and percentage of calls abandoned before being answered Retailer Calls taken in 30 secs Average wait time Calls abandoned (%) (secs) before being answered (%) ActewAGL 71% 158 4% ▼7% ▲16 ▲1% AGL 87% 17 2% ▲2% ● ● Alinta Energy 77% 36 2% ● ▼7 ▼1% Aurora Energy 71% 46 3% ▼3% ▲12 ▲1% Blue NRG 97% 30 N/A 3% ▼3% ▲3% Click Energy 75% 50 3% ▲6% ▼7 ▼1% CovaU 93% 3 5% ▲6% ▼4 ▼4% Diamond Energy 100% 0 N/A 0% ● ● EnergyAustralia 92% 9 2% ▲21% ▼72 ▼4% ERM Power 94% 12 6% ▲12% ▼26 ▼8% Lumo Energy 86% 19 1% ▲5% ▼13 ▼1% M2 Energy 79% 20 3% ▲2% ▼16 ▲1%
Energy retailer performance There are a number of reasons why a customer may contact their retailer. For example, customers may contact them to pay their bill, to ask about their bill or a better deal, to ask for payment assistance and sometimes to make a complaint. Price is important to customers, but so too is good customer service. This chapter discusses the customer experience with energy retailers, including: customer service and complaints assistance provided to customers with energy debt, such as energy concessions, payment plans and hardship programs the disconnection and reconnection of an energy service. Customer service Retailers’ responsiveness to inquiries and complaints is an important measure of customer service. Table 2.1 shows call centre responsiveness, specifically: percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds average time before a call is answered percentage of calls abandoned before being answered. Table 2.1: Phone calls to retailers in 2014-15, with percentage of calls answered in 30 seconds, average wait time and percentage of calls abandoned before being answered Retailer Calls taken in 30 secs (%) Average wait time (secs) Calls abandoned before being answered (%) ActewAGL 71% ▼7% 158 ▲16 4% ▲1% AGL 87% ▲2% 17 ● 2% ● Alinta Energy 77% ● 36 ▼7 2% ▼1% Aurora Energy 71% ▼3% 46 ▲12 3% ▲1% Blue NRG 97% ▼3% 30 N/A 3% ▲3% Click Energy 75% ▲6% 50 ▼7 3% ▼1% CovaU 93% ▲6% 3 ▼4 5% ▼4% Diamond Energy 100% ● 0 N/A 0% ● EnergyAustralia 92% ▲21% 9 ▼72 2% ▼4% ERM Power 94% ▲12% 12 ▼26 6% ▼8% Lumo Energy 86% ▲5% 19 ▼13 1% ▼1% M2 Energy 79% ▲2% 20 ▼16 3% ▲1%
AER%20Annual%20Report%20on%20the%20Performance%20of%20the%20Retail%20Energy%20Market%20201415_0.DOCX