|
Working with stakeholders
The customer perspective
This year EWON initiated a number of special projects to ensure that we continue to provide an accessible, efficient and responsive service in an increasingly complex utility environment.
2005 Customer Survey Results
In October 2005 EWON received results from a survey of
several hundred customers who had recently used our services. As with previous surveys, we were encouraged by the very positive results:
- 97% of customers were satisfied with the courtesy and helpfulness of EWON staff
- 95% said it was easy to make their complaint to EWON
- 92% reported that EWON staff explained the outcome of their complaint clearly
The survey was also designed to identify ways that we can improve customers’ experience of our services. Customers identified three areas for improvement:
- more regular updates about the progress of their case
- more detailed explanation of what we can and can’t achieve
- a greater public profile so customers can find us when
they need us, particularly customers whose first language
is not English.
As well as attending to these areas, EWON also implemented other strategies to improve our services.
- Plain language writing principles:
- our written correspondence was externally reviewed against best practice for plain language
- we conducted organisation-wide training for staff on plain language writing principles
- Working with CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) customers. We:
- assess how we can make investigation reports more reader-friendly for CALD customers
- continue targeted community outreach work with disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, especially new emerging CALD communities
- provide ongoing cross-cultural training for staff
- Working with utility providers – we continue to encourage providers to inform their customers about EWON
Working with providers
Visits to urban and regional areas
The issues and challenges facing energy and water providers and their customers can vary according to each utility and where they are based in NSW. EWON staff have increased their knowledge and understanding by visiting a number of urban and regional areas across the state including:
- Western Sydney: We visited a housing development undergoing an electricity infrastructure upgrade with Integral Energy. This gave us a better understanding of how this type of project is managed, including how information about the project is communicated to the community, processes in place to handle any disputes, usage patterns in the area and how demand for energy is planned and managed.
- Hunter Valley: We visited upgrade works on the waste water reticulation system between Warners Bay and Belmont on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie with Hunter Water. We saw how both customer and environmental issues were taken into consideration during the project.
- Far Western NSW: We visited Wentworth, Broken Hill and Menindee, Sunset Strip and Silverton with Country Energy. EWON staff had the opportunity to observe electricity, water and sewerage systems as well as meet customer service and field staff. The visit, which coincided with Anti-Poverty Week and an EWON utilities assistance forum, was an excellent opportunity to find out first hand how services are delivered in rural and remote NSW.
- Mulgoa-Wallacia Priority Sewerage Upgrade: We visited Sydney Water’s Mulgoa-Wallacia upgrade project which will enable 1000 households to connect to a reticulated sewerage system.
Facilitating debate and learning
EWON plays a role in encouraging energy and water providers to foster a positive complaint handling environment within their companies and build excellent internal complaint handling systems. In November 2005 EWON held the Could we do it better? Good complaint handling = good business forum. The forum was well attended by industry representatives who heard presentations on a range of strategies to assist their companies handle customer complaints.
Training
Sharing information with the energy and water providers on our investigation processes, as well as our policy, research, community and service development work, is a critical part of ensuring we deliver an excellent external complaint handling service. EWON holds regular inductions for company staff who are involved in providing information to assist our investigation and resolution of complaints.
Presentations on smart meters
EWON needs to keep up with technological advances in the industry so we can assess and explain the impact on customers, especially with billing. Interval meters that measure consumption in 30 minute periods and store the consumption data electronically are becoming the norm for new installations. We invited Country Energy, EnergyAustralia and Integral Energy to present to our investigations team on smart meters, as well as the technical capabilities of different meter types and their consumer benefit.
Formal agreements
EWON has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in place with a number of government and regulatory agencies that have a shared interest in energy and water complaints and issues.
This year we formalised our relationship with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) with the signing of an updated MOU. Apart from its role in setting standard prices, IPART is responsible for administering electricity, gas and water licences and authorisations in NSW and monitoring compliance. As EWON investigates and reports on complaints that may be relevant to the performance of licence obligations, the MOU sets out arrangements for sharing information and working together on consumer protection issues.
We also reviewed and updated our MOU with the NSW Ombudsman. The NSW Ombudsman and EWON both have a jurisdiction to investigate complaints against state owned utility companies. The MOU recognises EWON as the preferred body to investigate complaints about NSW electricity, gas and (some) water providers and sets out processes for referring complaints and sharing information.
Working with other
complaint agencies
Ombudsman offices
The Ombudsman continued to be actively involved with other energy and water ombudsman offices through ANZEWON, the Australia & New Zealand Energy and Water Ombudsman Network, and with both industry and statutory ombudsman offices through ANZOA, the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association.
Government and community service delivery
This year we participated in training programs presented by the Financial Counsellors’ Association NSW for new financial counsellors, NSW Parliament for electorate officers, and the Office of Fair Trading for their customer service officers. These agencies provide important frontline services to consumers and EWON has very positive relationships with each for appropriate referral of consumer complaints.
JIG (Joint Initiatives Group)
EWON continues to be represented on the Joint Initiatives Group, a network of Australian and NSW complaint agencies, including the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Health Care Complaints Commission, Independent Commission Against Corruption, NSW Ombudsman, Office for Children – Children’s Guardian, Office of the Legal Services Commissioner and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. The group meets to review and share information about investigative complaints handling, training initiatives and the delivery of several occasional seminars each year.
JOIN (Joint Outreach Initiatives Network)
A year ago we established the Joint Outreach Initiatives Network, which is made up of staff with a role in community outreach and education programs in complaint agencies. JOIN membership includes the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, Commonwealth Ombudsman, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Independent Commission Against Corruption, NSW Ombudsman and the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner. Participants meet regularly to share information and showcase successful projects.
ANZOA Interest Groups
PRAC (Public Relations and Communications): EWON continues to facilitate meetings of public relations and communications professionals working in member organisations of ANZOA (Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association). As part of our commitment to networking with our colleagues, in September 2005 EWON organised and hosted a cross-cultural training session ‘Promoting to and networking with multicultural communities’ which was presented by the Multicultural Disability and Advocacy Association for members of JOIN and PRAC.
Learning and Development: EWON also participates in the ANZOA Learning and Development Interest Group, chaired by the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria). This group is working on a number of projects to share resources and where possible move towards alignment of learning and development programs.
|
