CUSTOMER CASE FILES. Real customers lives. Real causes of debt.

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1 CUSTOMER CASE FILES

2 Water Debt Services that put your customer first Should you want to minimise customer debt and its effect on your reputation, Echo can help. We re different because we re customer journey specialists. We understand your customers real lives, and help you place customer service at the heart of your operations. We engage your customers, protect your brand and answer your pressing challenges from avoiding debt in the first place, to maximising early arrears collections, to recovering longer standing debts. These customer case files outline just a few real world debt scenarios we all face on a daily basis. Each is a circumstance you ll probably recognise, each suggests approaches that we ve found can really help. So, if you want to know more about Echo s customer-centric approach to debt, call us on or us at ask@echo-ms.com

3 POST CARD Dear Water Supplier, THIS SPACE IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! Yours, Megan Lawson 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: WHERE ARE YOU? 1 of7 Visit Read the case file

4 Name: Megan Lawson Age: 32 Description: Time-poor mother, who works full time as well as organising her various children s busy calendars. Payment History: Average Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: RIGHT CONVERSATION. RIGHT CUSTOMER. RIGHT TIME Megan s story is all too common to us. Many customers expect extended opening hours, enabling them to get in touch when it suits them best. At the same time, engaging every customer through their preferred communication channel provides them with every convenient opportunity to pay. Sophisticated customer profiles can help show the best ways to make contact, while soft initiatives before and after bill issue further improve engagement. What s more, through technological advancements such as visual IVR, you can make it easier and more convenient for customers to stay in touch. We can help you take a more customer-centric approach to debt - improving customer engagement and delivering better results. MULTI-CHANNEL ENGAGEMENT NEWS FLASH ONE SIZE FITS ALL DOOMED TO FAILURE, STATISTICS REVEAL 40% of customers in arrears respond best to a phone call 30% of customers in arrears respond best to a letter 14% of customers in arrears respond best to COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/ % of customers in arrears respond best to SMS

5 POST CARD Dear Water Supplier, THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! Why oh why do you keep bombarding me with phone calls, letters, texts and other expensive bumph? No wonder your bills are so high. Water falls free out of the sky, but you ve turned it into a source of profit. Tell me why I should pay so much for what I believe is a free natural resource? I m listening. Sincerely, Sandeep Borra Yours, Megan Lawson 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: WATER WHERE RUNS ARE YOU? FREE. 21 of7 Visit Read the case file

6 Name: Age: 42 Description: Sandeep Borra A customer who believes water is a free resource and shouldn t be paid for. He has the funds to pay but refuses to do so. Payment History: Strong moving to poor Affordability Flag: Profile Depth: Vulnerability Flag: USING DEBT PERSONAS Sandeep s story is more than familiar to us. Every customer is different and there are many reasons why their payments may be late. Having the right conversation with the right customer at the right time is crucial. Deep customer understanding enables conversations and strategies to be tailored to each customer, taking into account their circumstances, history, attitude and behaviour. And where required, having agents trained in objection handling and dealing with conflict can also help deliver a successful outcome. Our data collection strategies can help you enrich your customer profiles to deliver meaningful insight informing and tailoring your approaches to maximise both customer engagement and ROI. BUILD DETAILED DEBT PERSONAS NEWS FLASH NEW STATISTICS PROVIDE STARK WARNING OF IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER PROFILING 63% of people have experienced debt recovery at some point in their lives I FORGOT! 40% of people simply forgot to pay 32% fall into arrears due to inaccurate billing or at protest COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/ % of people couldn t afford to pay

7 POST CARD THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY Dear Water Supplier, Dear Water Supplier, I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! So you send me a bill for the wrong amount. Great. Then when I call, you leave me on hold. Then you said you d look into it, but you didn t because now you re threatening me with a debt collection agency for your mistake! It beggars belief. It s a fiasco. If I could switch water supplier right now, I would. Yours, Megan Lawson Emily Davies 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: YOU VE MUDDIED THE WATERS Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: WHERE ARE YOU? 31 of7 Visit Read the case file

8 Name: Emily Davies Age: 23 Description: A customer who has received an inaccurate bill and has been trying to sort the matter out with the water company, but is struggling to get her voice heard. Payment History: Strong Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: AVOIDING FORESEEABLE DEBT Emily isn t alone. Using good data is so important to avoid billing errors, as is a common sense approach to chasing arrears caused by your own mistakes. Escalating these accounts is not only expensive but also highly frustrating for customers. Where your customer is faced with a higher bill, effective warning communications (such as low cost and SMS alerts) sent before the bill lands can go a long way in avoiding nasty shocks. Equally, helpful post-bill communications can reduce instances of payment forgetfulness and protest debt. We can help you mitigate avoidable debt through proactive customer engagement and the use of payment behaviour indicators. MITIGATION OF AVOIDABLE DEBT NEWS FLASH AVOID BILLING AND CONTACT ERRORS TO REDUCE DEBT, STATES NEW RESEARCH 59% of people have experienced inaccurate billing 26% of people didn t pay due to an inaccurate bill, a mix up or because they simply didn t understand the bill COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/2018

9 POST CARD THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY Dear Dear Water Water Supplier, Supplier, I m I ve writing had a on few behalf reminder of my letters neighbour and who s voic s not from well enough you and to have deal a with few his finances. queries. I He s want always to pay, paid but his you way make but it has so hard. unfortunately I can t call lost you track when of I m things at whilst work. in You re hospital. closed Could by the you time visit I get him the at kids home to bed. to discuss I m really his frustrated payment that options? we can t Doesn t talk at he a time deserve and this in a after way being that suits a valued me. customer I want for pay, many but can t years? find a I way! think he does. Thank Yours, Megan you, Chris Lawson Taylor 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: IN WHERE DEEP ARE WATER. YOU? 41 of7 Visit Read the case file

10 Name: Fred Whitmore (Chris Taylor s neighbour) Age: 75 Description: Fred (the customer) has just had a stroke which has left him unable to talk and it s difficult for him to manage everyday tasks at the minute. He s built up arrears during his hospital stay and resulting recovery time at home. Payment History: Strong Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: ADDRESSING AFFORDABILITY ISSUES Chris is doing the right thing, and as a sector we must work hard to do the right thing too. Having people trained to identify a whole range of customer vulnerabilities and working closer with third parties is of course a key part of this. But more than this, community initiatives, support schemes and methods of promoting your social tariffs are just as important, as are arranging home visits for your hard-to-reach customers. We are specialists in this area, with a trained, experienced and understanding field team already in place, working alongside our office teams to provide easy to access assistance that makes a real difference to customers lives. BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT NEWS FLASH MORE HELP NEEDED FOR CUSTOMERS IN NEED, RESEARCH REVEALS 42% of people said they ve been pushed into an unrealistic payment plan 52% of people think there s a negative stigma attached to asking their service provider for help Only 22% of customers are aware they could access special discounted tariffs if they were in need COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/2018

11 POST CARD THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY Dear Water Supplier, Supplier, It s difficult for me to write, but the reason for my late payment was due to a change in employment circumstances. I have always prided myself on paying on time. I think it s wrong you don t recognise this before sending me late payment letters. I have a new job but, after your lack of understanding, feel I also need a new water supplier. I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! Yours, Megan Lawson Thank you, Drew Wright 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: LOOK WHERE BELOW ARE YOU? THE SURFACE. 51 of7 Visit Read the case file

12 Name: Drew Wright Age: 39 Description: Customer is facing a temporary change in circumstances due to losing her job. She feels very guilty she is unable to pay, as she has never missed a payment to date. She s writing in because she s upset that the water company has made her feel embarrassed. Payment History: Strong Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: A MORE CUSTOMER-CENTRIC APPROACH Drew is like many people who, through no fault of their own, suddenly find themselves unable to pay their bills. Rather than focusing on the short term benefit of high collection rates, we can help you take a longer term view that considers the lifetime value of your customers. Helping customers through bad times builds trust and ultimately helps settle debt. For early or first-time debt, a softer approach is beneficial where the tone is carefully judged. After all, debt is simply just another part of the customer journey. A CUSTOMER SERVICE MINDSET NEWS FLASH Many debtors deserve more help and understanding, statistics show Most people feel guilty about late payment 48% have done everything in their power to make the payment 11% feel they ve done something morally wrong COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/ % said their supplier made them feel embarrassed about debt

13 POST CARD THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY Dear Water Supplier, Dear Water Supplier, I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! This is all new to me. My partner always looked after all the bills. Now they re no longer here, I m struggling to keep on top of everything. How do I pay? When do I pay? Can you get in touch with me to help? We always paid on time, but I m worried I won t keep this good payment record going without help from you. Thank you in advance, Charlie Roberts Yours, Megan Lawson 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: TRYING WHERE ARE TO KEEP YOU? MY HEAD ABOVE WATER. 61 of7 Visit Read the case file

14 Name: Charlie Roberts Age: 45 Description: Customer has never dealt with the household bills before, because his wife handled everything. His circumstances have changed as he is now single and he doesn t know how to handle the bills when they come in. Payment History: Average Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: HELPING CUSTOMER TO PAY Charlie needs support, that s clear for all to see. We re here to help you provide it. Engaging customers earlier in the customer journey is crucial to help spot issues before a debt escalates and becomes a problem. Maintaining regular contact helps keep problems at bay and ensures customers who need assistance do not remain invisible. Using a variety of indicators, we can help predict future payment behaviour, supporting customers even in the most difficult circumstances to better manage their payments. EARLY INTERVENTION NEWS FLASH NOTICE US SAY CUSTOMERS AT RISK OF FALLING INTO ARREARS 53% of people don t think their provider worked enough with them to avoid their arrears Of these, 39% said communication should have been better And 20% wanted more flexible solutions COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/2018

15 POST CARD Dear Water Supplier, Dear Water Supplier, THIS SPACE IS IS FOR WRITING MESSAGES FOR ADDRESS ONLY I ve had a few reminder letters and voic s from you and have a few queries. I want to pay, but you make it so hard. I can t call you when I m at work. You re closed by the time I get the kids to bed. I m really frustrated that we can t talk at a time and in a way that suits me. I want to pay, but can t find a way! I m so used to paying my bills in ways that suit me, I m surprised you re so inflexible in the way that you accept payment. I pay for my parking with my phone, but I can t pay you. And so long as the bill gets paid, why can t I pay more when I have it, and less when I don t? I think you need to move with the times. Yours, Megan Lawson Yours etc. Aaron Cullen 2018 Echo Managed Services Cover Photo: IN WHERE UNCHARTED ARE YOU? WATERS. 71 of7 Visit Read the case file

16 Name: Aaron Cullen Age: 25 Description: A young customer who has just started paying household bills. He doesn t understand why payment terms and methods are so inflexible it s highly frustrating. Payment History: Average Profile Depth: Affordability Flag: Vulnerability Flag: A TIME FOR CHANGE Aaron speaks for more and more customers. Their expectations are growing as advancing technologies provide new ways of communicating. This opens up new opportunities to be more flexible in how, when and where customers can pay, enabling you to be more innovative in your approach. We can support you to give your customers more choice and options, using our vast experience and expertise built across multiple sectors - to increase both customer satisfaction and collections. FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION NEWS FLASH WATER SECTOR SCORES BADLY WHEN IT COMES TO BEST PRACTICE DEBT COLLECTION Retailer Mortgage company/bank Energy company Car finance company Credit card company Water company Telephone company Local authority = Best Performing Sector 100 Customers believe retailers deploy the best practice debt collection techniques, according to new research. Meanwhile water companies languish towards the bottom of the rankings, just ahead of telephone companies and local authorities. COUNTING THE COST OF DEBT RECOVERY RESEARCH ECHO MANAGED SERVICES LTD 2016/2018

17 MULTI-CHANNEL ENGAGEMENT FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION BUILD DETAILED DEBT PERSONAS EARLY INTERVENTION Real customers lives. Real causes of debt. MITIGATION OF AVOIDABLE DEBT A CUSTOMER SERVICE MINDSET BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT ENGAGING 600,000 CUSTOMERS IN THE FIELD PER YEAR WE HANDLE 3 MILLION MULTI-CHANNEL CUSTOMER CONTACTS PER YEAR WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 38 WATER & ENERGY COMPANIES Best Outsourced Collections Provider FCA Accredited, Full CSA Member, ISO 9001 and Accredited

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