Standards of Conduct 2016

Transcription

1 Standards of Conduct 2016 Solarplicity Energy Charter on Treating Customers Fairly This charter is published in accordance with Ofgem s Standard of Conduct Licence Condition and constitutes LoCO2 Energy s treating customers Fairly Statement. Solarplicity Energy Limited Batchworth House, Church Street, Rickmansworth WD3 1JE Tel: theteam@solarplicity.com Web: Registered Address: Unit 8 Peerglow Centre, Marsh Lane, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 9QL Solarplicity Energy Ltd Registered in England GB VAT No

2 Treating Customers Fairly Solarplicity is committed to maintaining a high quality customer service, ensuring that you are treated fairly and that your needs as an energy consumer are at the centre of what we do. We endeavour to ensure we are always honest, accurate and transparent whenever we communicate with our customers so that you can trust us as your energy supplier. Customer Service at the Centre of What We Do Customer service has always been a core component of the Solarplicity ethos. We not only believed that energy should be affordable and green, but that it should be delivered with a high quality of service. This means avoiding many of the common aggravations found in the energy industry, such as being on hold for hours on end; having to navigate complicated automated telephone menus or having to deal with feckless call-centre employees. As a result we have set out to develop and continually improve our customer s experience, ensuring we are avoiding the mistakes which have been prevalent within the industry. Building for the Future We also recognise that we are a growing supplier, with a customer base which is growing quickly. As we grow, there is a need to constantly review our processes as the demand on our systems continues build. This year we have invested heavily in growing our staff base, which has greatly improved our response time to customer queries and our ability to share information about your account with you. These improvements have been made as the first step in building for the future and ensuring we have the right people in place to deal with growth while maintaining a high level of service. Our Standard of Conduct Key Principles We follow three key principles in regards to our standards of conduct. Our Behaviour All of our staff are trained to behave and carry out their roles in an honest, transparent and professional manner. We ensure they are courteous and never aggressive, rude or condescending to customers. Our Communications We endeavour to ensure that all our communications with customers, both verbal and written, are in no way misleading. They should be presented in plain language with the most important information made prominent. Our Processes We hope to make all our processes, from setting direct debits to billing, as transparent as possible. We frequently review all our processes to ensure they are fit for purpose and make sure any customer service issues are dealt with in a timely manner. 2

3 Our Service Areas Here we outline what we do to ensure we are treating you fairly in all aspects of our key service areas and how we aim to continue to improve them: Customer Care Ability to contact our customer service team by phone, and letter. Get straight through to a customer service assistant at the heart of our business. No call centres. Your query to be dealt with as efficiently Customer service assistants who are polite and knowledgeable. Customer service assistants who are able to explain things clearly and treat customers fairly. If your query cannot be dealt with immediately we aim to get back to you as soon as possible to resolve the issue. Extended telephone operating hours to Monday-Thursday 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-6pm, and Saturday 9am-12pm. Continued to invest in our customer service staff base, both increasing the number of staff in the department and increasing the training available to new and existing staff. Continued to invest in our IT infrastructure to ensure we provide the same quality service as we grow. Reviewed our complaint handling procedures to get complaints dealt with faster. Continuing implementation of customer feedback to ensure you are getting the best possible service. Continue to increase the size of our customer services team to ensure that we can still deal with your queries as efficiently Improve our complaints handling procedure to ensure that these are dealt with as fast Our Contractual Terms Our Terms and Conditions to be fair and easily accessible. To be sent out at the start of each new contract. Most important bits of the terms to be highlighted to any potential customers before they switch to Solarplicity. Terms will not contravene your rights as an Energy Consumer. This year we continued to review of all of our terms and conditions, to ensure that your rights are protected and we treat you fairly. Reviewing the presentation of our contractual terms to ensure customers find them easy to read and access. 3

4 Switching A smooth and effortless switching process which should take no longer than three working weeks. Speedy resolution if there is any reason why the switch is being delayed from our end. Reviewed and improved the communications we send out during the switch process. Put in place new processes for faster switching allowing a switch to take place two and a half weeks. We continually review the switch process and identify if there are any reoccurring delays, so they can be managed effectively. We are going to work closely with the industry in preparation for 24 hour switching due to take effect in Pricing Our pricing to be fair and reflective of the energy market. Your tariff prices to be clear and simple to understand. Our pricing to be transparent so that you know exactly what you are paying for. To make it easy for you to know exactly which of our tariffs is the cheapest tariff for you. Continued to offer two great electricity tariffs our low carbon pocket tariff, and our 100% renewable planet tariff. Launched a new tariff offering Gas, so we are able to provide you with both Gas and Electricity. Introduced the release of annual statements, which will provide you with information about your usage and costs over a yearly period. To keep prices fair and transparent and competitive to ensure you always get the best deal. The launch of a Green Gas tariff, which offers a certain percentage of renewable gas in the fuel mix. 4

5 Billing Six monthly statements that clearly show your usage, your tariff, any payments you have made and whether you are in debt or credit. Billed accurately to customer readings when they have been provided. Estimated figures for your annual consumption to help you budget your energy usage. Yearly Annual Statement that will advise if you could save money on a better tariff. Providing simple payment options (direct debit, cash, or cheque). Continued to invest our IT billing software that will streamlines how quickly a bill can be produced and provide up to date balances on request from customers. Developed reminders to collect meter readings, ensuring more accurate bills. Made it easier for customers to provide us with meter readings, including through our website, s, over the phone, and via freepost on our meter reading cards. Continue to improve our billing processes to ensure that accurate bills are sent on time. Make it even easier for customers to send us meter readings including via text message. Provide you with more reminders when we haven t received a meter read from you in a while. Including via post and telephone, to ensure we bill you as accurately Complaints If we have made a mistake we endeavour to rectify the issue as efficiently The majority of issues are dealt with in 24 hours. We will always be honest about our mistake and, where appropriate, apologise in writing and arrange recompense. We will treat all complaints fairly, following the process set out in our complaints handling procedure. All our complaints figures are published on a quarterly basis. Ongoing review of our complaint handling procedure to ensure it is fit for purpose and complaints are dealt with quickly. Ensured that despite a large increase in customers, the number of complaints received has remained a very low level. Increased the speed and effectiveness we deal with complaints so that even more complaints are dealt with within a 24 hour period. We continually review complaints to see how we can avoid the same mistakes happening again. Address the number of complaints we receive regarding billing as this is currently where we receive the most complaints. 5

6 Solarplicity Energy Limited Batchworth House, Church Street, Rickmansworth WD3 1JE Tel: Web: Registered Address: Unit 8 Peerglow Centre, Marsh Lane, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 9QL Solarplicity Energy Ltd Registered in England GB VAT No