Meeting customer needs
Meeting the needs of customers is fundamental to both the success of EDF Energy and the Third Party Consultants (TPIs) with whom we work.
My team at EDF Energy is always looking for ideas to fuel innovation and meet the changing requirements of customers and the input from TPIs can shape what we develop. It was hugely encouraging for me to see a great level of interaction from the TPIs who attended our annual conference on 17 June.
It was the first time that we hosted a breakout just for TPIs to hear their views on what creates trust in the energy market, what the future energy landscape might look like and what is driving our customers’ requirements over the next few years.
Activities on the day
Over 40 TPIs took part in our interactive session. We used the opportunity to share our knowledge of the B2B regulatory agenda, and to give our partners some key insights into the drivers behind some key debates and when they may be concluded. We also worked collectively through a number of exercises.
Starting with a bold vision of the future in 2020, with a headline: Trust in the energy sector at an all-time high we discussed what would need to change in our industry in order to make this headline a reality.
We followed on with a view of how the energy market might develop towards 2020 and what the effect would be on Customers, TPIs, Suppliers, Products and the market as a whole.
The consensus was that smart meters, non-energy costs, demand management and an increased focus on low carbon would be the top four market drivers over the next five years.
Insightful feedback
Finally, we held a quick pop quiz to canvass views on what is going to drive customer needs in the next five years, and received some insightful answers:
88.5% of participants thought that energy suppliers are doing enough and are on the right path to increase trust with end customers.
44.4% said that price certainty will continue to be the most important thing to customers over the next five years.
65.4% of attendees envisioned that the procurement decision maker in five years’ time would be the Finance Director.
69.2% of delegates felt that the relationship between TPIs and suppliers will be more collaborative over the next five years.
I’d like to thank all of our partners who participated – a detailed pack of what we discussed has been emailed to them. I look forward to ongoing collaboration and getting to know their businesses better over the coming months and years.
We’re always keen to hear new ideas of how we can better meet customer needs and welcome your views. Please let your account manager know if you have any ideas or suggestions that you would like to share.
