Leading energy and water retailers, along with consumer and community groups, have come together to work with the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) to develop a set of evidence based principles to ensure that all Victorian consumers receive fair treatment and access to power and water.
A collaborative effort
CPRC has spent time with frontline credit, hardship and complaints teams across a range of businesses – including AGL, City West Water, Energy Australia, Origin Energy, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water – to identify best practice examples of fair customer treatment and the principles that guide it.
To ensure the consumer voice is heard, we have also convened a project reference group comprising representatives from the Consumer Action Law Centre, Kildonan UnitingCare, Victorian Council of Social Service, Alternative Technology Association and Deloitte Australia. This group meets regularly with CPRC to track progress and contribute consumer views at every stage. A consumer focus group enables consumers to share their views on fairness and their experiences with retailers.
CPRC is undertaking national and global research on fairness and consumer access to essential services, and industry bodies including the State Energy and Water Ombudsman and Ofgem UK are on board.
Focusing on trust
Fairness was initially the project’s central focus – but CPRC noticed, during hundreds of hours spent observing business practices and speaking with staff and customers, that the theme of ‘trust’ often came up. The goal of building customer trust is one that all energy and water retailers can embrace as a central business strategy. It encompasses the original project goals of fair access and treatment, because these are what generate trust.
Achieving and maintaining trust is an ongoing process: in each interaction, retailers need to demonstrate genuine integrity and the motivation to meet customer expectations. Retailers must also have in place the resources and practices to deliver on commitments made to customers. Trust develops when this is done repeatedly over time.
Trust is relevant to all customers and each interaction that they have with retailers, but it is perhaps most crucial when vulnerable customers are struggling to afford and maintain access to energy and water services. Trust develops in ‘moments of truth’, when a customer needs assistance and the retailer responds quickly and with impact. Hence the project retained its initial vulnerability focus, paying attention to how retailers can build trust with customers in financial difficulty who need assistance to stay connected.
Visit CRCP website for more info
