Provision of Customer Contact Managed Services

Description

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy, district heating and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and businesses ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for all customers. The CRU’s mission is to protect the public interest in water, energy and energy safety. The CRU is guided by four strategic priorities that sit alongside the core activities we undertake to deliver on the public interest. These are: • Ensure security of supply • Drive a low carbon future • Empower and protect customers • Enable our people and organisational capacity Under the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity and Gas) (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2011 (SI 463 of 2011, as amended) and the Water Services Act 2014 (as amended), the CRU has a statutory duty to provide: • A single point of contact for all energy and water related customer queries/information requests, particularly to provide information on consumer rights and obligations, and • A free dispute resolution service for any customer with an unresolved complaint against an energy supplier, energy network operator or Uisce Éireann. The CRU’s Customer Care Team (“CCT”), in the Customer Policy and Protection and Legal division, is the team that fulfils this role and assists household and small business customers who have questions or complaints in relation to energy or water utilities in a helpful and accurate manner. In providing information and dispute resolution services to customers, the CCT is currently supported by an external contact centre provider (and has been for the last 13 years). Services currently provided are outlined below. Similar services are sought from a suitably qualified organisation for the next two years, with the option to extend by two further two-year periods, i.e. a possible total of six years. The successful tenderer will be the first point of contact for all customers seeking to avail of the information or dispute resolution services provided by the CCT. By way of context, volumes and complexity of queries and complaints handled by the CRU have increased notably over the last four years. Contact volumes are currently slightly below 2021-22 peaks, while complaint volumes continue to increase year-on-year. In 2023, the CRU’s customer care line received 6,816 inbound calls and 22,526 emails (including online web queries). 617 complex complaints (complaints that are investigated by the CRU) were opened. The CCT’s 2023 annual report (linked in previous section) will provide more information on the nature of queries and complaints received. Future contact volumes are uncertain, however we would note a trend in the subject matter areas covered by contacts becoming more complex, for example in relation to microgeneration support schemes and more complex smart tariff products being offered by energy suppliers. It is important that agents representing the CRU can understand a wide range of complex areas, and question customers effectively such that they can advise customers clearly and accurately on their rights in relation to energy, water and other areas that come into the CRU’s remit (such as district heating). Summary of services required: Provision of information service Provision of dispute resolution service Training agents, including developing new training materials Reporting Quality assurance Reception line The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy, district heating and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and businesses ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for all customers. The CRU’s mission is to protect the public interest in water, energy and energy safety. The CRU is guided by four strategic priorities that sit alongside the core activities we undertake to deliver on the public interest. These are: • Ensure security of supply • Drive a low carbon future • Empower and protect customers • Enable our people and organisational capacity Under the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity and Gas) (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2011 (SI 463 of 2011, as amended) and the Water Services Act 2014 (as amended), the CRU has a statutory duty to provide: • A single point of contact for all energy and water related customer queries/information requests, particularly to provide information on consumer rights and obligations, and • A free dispute resolution service for any customer with an unresolved complaint against an energy supplier, energy network operator or Uisce Éireann. The CRU’s Customer Care Team (“CCT”), in the Customer Policy and Protection and Legal division, is the team that fulfils this role and assists household and small business customers who have questions or complaints in relation to energy or water utilities in a helpful and accurate manner. In providing information and dispute resolution services to customers, the CCT is currently supported by an external contact centre provider (and has been for the last 13 years). Services currently provided are outlined below. Similar services are sought from a suitably qualified organisation for the next two years, with the option to extend by two further two-year periods, i.e. a possible total of six years. The successful tenderer will be the first point of contact for all customers seeking to avail of the information or dispute resolution services provided by the CCT. By way of context, volumes and complexity of queries and complaints handled by the CRU have increased notably over the last four years. Contact volumes are currently slightly below 2021-22 peaks, while complaint volumes continue to increase year-on-year. In 2023, the CRU’s customer care line received 6,816 inbound calls and 22,526 emails (including online web queries). 617 complex complaints (complaints that are investigated by the CRU) were opened. The CCT’s 2023 annual report (linked in previous section) will provide more information on the nature of queries and complaints received. Future contact volumes are uncertain, however we would note a trend in the subject matter areas covered by contacts becoming more complex, for example in relation to microgeneration support schemes and more complex smart tariff products being offered by energy suppliers. It is important that agents representing the CRU can understand a wide range of complex areas, and question customers effectively such that they can advise customers clearly and accurately on their rights in relation to energy, water and other areas that come into the CRU’s remit (such as district heating). Summary of services required: Provision of information service Provision of dispute resolution service Training agents, including developing new training materials Reporting Quality assurance Reception line