FRONT COVER FEATURE WORLD OF COMMERCIAL GAS
handler, one number to call and speak to a person, right through to investment in new call handling systems which significantly reduced call wait times.
The business delivered specialist training sessions with motivational speaker Nicki Pattinson, rolled out 2Inspire courses which identified team strengths and brought in specialist trainers to maximise everyone’s confidence in their roles. Team members were also nurtured to reach their potential and provided the opportunity to study for NVQs or Diplomas in a variety of businessrelated courses that would help them progress and ultimately, increase the positive impact for those dealing with CNG as a supplier. Naturally, the business was keen to see how these changes were impacting growth and renewals. CNG’s customer renewals remain at 84 per cent, which is above the national average. A vital metric for measuring the success of the CNG quest for excellence came down to its Net Promoter Scores (NPS); or the willingness of the customer to recommend the business. This acknowledges positive scores (anything above zero) as high performing and CNG is currently at 11, significantly above average for its sector. If you ask CNG directors, they will say this is still only the
beginning. There is always more that can be done and improvements to be made, but so far, the signs are pretty encouraging. Discerning consumers are warming to a refreshingly high standard approach to their commercial gas supply and it is being reflected in a series of major industry milestones.
CNG has won multiple awards both as an employer and as a service provider but it is its industry recognition which is demonstrating the effectiveness of its internal improvements. In the past two years CNG has charted on the Cornwall Energy Survey ahead of major suppliers (some within the Big Six) for meter points supplied to business and after charting on several regional growth lists, made the 2013 Virgin Fast Track 100 - acknowledging the fastest growing companies over the last three years. 2014 is instrumental to the ongoing success of CNG’s growth plan and excellence journey. A strategy is in place for monitoring customer satisfaction and response to CNG’s systems and processes. A major change is the forthcoming Customer Service Desk. This will see existing customer care specialists receive additional training to increase ability to handle queries at first point of contact by approximately 80 per cent. This move is supported by investment in the technological infrastructure to maximise success; a new customer service screen, query tool to replace email and an overall Contact Centre System which brings all customer communication together and can monitor to ensure everything which is promised, is in turn being delivered. Customer contact frequency is also being managed to ensure that a stream of feedback is gathered and the data utilised to improve service. The size of the CNG operation means the business is large enough to handle all size of account, while small enough that
changes suggested by the customer can be implemented and noticed within within a short space of time.
By seeking feedback from customers at all stages of the experience, the business can build a clearer picture of the service and what needs working on to improve it. Customers from new sign ups, to those billed three or four times on to those already through the renewal process, will be asked for feedback on a 1-10 scoring basis. All results are followed up with a call and responses are fed directly back into the business. This is complemented with a once a year complete customer feedback survey which together will provide a clear picture of the NPS.
This desire to change the perception of an overcrowded industry may once have seemed ambitious, but the evidence suggests consumers are waking up to the possibility that independents are able to offer all the same services without the hassle. There is no reason that purchasing commercial gas should be a painful experience and with CNG’s forthcoming expansion into electricity too, customers have the chance to make even more of their supply worries disappear.
www.cngltd.co.uk
PUBLIC SECTOR ESTATES MANAGEMENT • JULY/AUGUST 2014
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