Gas Networks Ireland ‘Insights into Action’ Programme

Description

At Gas Networks Ireland, we are committed to putting our customers first. This customer first mindset is embedded in our culture and drives our collective ambition to continuously seek opportunities to improve the levels of service that we provide daily to all our customers, including in particular our older customers. We recognise that user experience is the most valuable resource we can utilise when designing our services to best meet the specific and various needs of our older customers.

To enable this approach, we use our Insights into Action programme as a framework under which we capture direct feedback from all customers including our older customers, illustrating first-hand what interacting with us, feels like for them. The programme further enables us as a collective of process owners, to review this key insight and identify opportunities to redesign our processes to deliver an even better service.

Our Insights into Action programme supports four functions:

1.Insight:
Listening to and understanding older customers.

• Accessibility Audits:
Regularly conduct audits to ensure all services are easily accessible to older customers, identifying and addressing any barriers.

• Personalized Support:
Offer personalized support options, such as dedicated helpline or customer service representatives trained to assist older customers.

2.Communicating insights
As a knowledge share to the broader business and our stakeholders.

• Storytelling:
Use storytelling techniques to share real-life experiences of older customers with the broader business, making the insights more relatable and impactful.

• Feedback Loops:
Establish clear feedback loops where older customers can quickly and easily resolve any outstanding issues or concerns.

3.Innovating Solutions
Creating opportunities within our organisation to promote a better understanding of older customer experiences, to discuss their challenges when accessing our services, and to be inspired by our service delivery counterparts.

• Co-creation Workshops:
Involve older customers directly in the design and testing of new initiatives through co-creation workshops.

• Technology Integration:
Explore technology solutions that can simplify access to services, such as user-friendly phone line or specialised app/web text assistance for customer who are deaf or hard of hearing.

4.Result-Oriented Actions
Implementing initiatives based on older customer’s experiences, responding to customers and creating ever-improving channels of access to our services.

• Impact Measurement:
Develop metrics to measure the impact of implemented initiatives on older customers’ satisfaction and service accessibility.

• Recognition Programs:
Implement recognition programs for staff and business partners who excel in improving services for older customers.

Our Insights into Action programme is on-going, and ensures that our older customers’ insights are captured, their needs understood and acted upon through internal review, implementation of initiatives, and inclusion in annual reports. The programme creates opportunities for staff and business partners to access and hear what our older customers are saying about the service we offer them. It provides a basis for upskilling and training, and process review. The programme empowers the voice of our older customers, to inform and guide our decision-making processes. We strive to ensure that they feel represented and valued in the services we offer.

Aim of Initiative

An aim of the initiative is to ensure that the voice of our older customer is heard within the business as we design an accessible service for all our customers.

We want to deliver on our commitment to putting our customers first, and recognise that the needs of each customer will be different and require a tailored approach.

The Insights into Action programme fosters a customer centric culture within the organisation and focuses our collaborative efforts on delivering improvements that matter to our older customers.

Who is it aimed at

The Insights into Action programme is a tool designed to support us as we deliver on our commitment to putting our customers first. The programme ensures that the voice of all our customers, are heard within the business as we work to deliver excellent customer service.

Encompassing all our customers’ voices, the programme has been designed to capture and spotlight the voice of our older customers. We recognise that the needs of our older customers are diverse and require an informed and tailored approach.

The Insights into Action programme fosters a customer centric culture within the organisation and focuses our collaborative efforts on delivering improvements that matter to our older customers.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Listening to and understanding older customers:

   Recognise the importance of measuring customer experience. Work for customers should be built on an extensive programme of customer measurement, which captures customer satisfaction, ease of dealing with an organisation and likelihood to recommend based on experience with that organisation. Metrics can be brought to life using customer verbatims and stories. All surveys should incorporate a feedback loop, contacts stemming from which should be dealt with by a dedicated customer care team by close of business that day. Ensure insight is effectively garnered from all customer segments, paying particular focus to customers who may require additional services. Encourage ideas and input from all areas of the business. Promote empowerment and buy-in for customer agenda.

   Establish channels to listen to our older customers:
   • Develop a Monthly mystery shopping programme
   • Develop a ‘Close the Loop’ capability
   • Launch an Age Friendly Customer Care line
   • Assign a Customer Accessibility Officer

   Establish channels to understand our older customers:
   • Establish a regular Programme of Customer Journey Mapping
   • Capture frontline staff feedback;
   • Develop a tailored CX dashboard for older customer sentiment tracking

2. An organisation’s primary strength is its people. Use multiple communication platforms to embed a culture of customer centricity. These should be championed by the Senior Executive team and supported by owners across the business, and delivery partners. Embed a culture of customer closeness, employee ownership and continuous improvement. CSR’s and field staff feedback should be collected to ensure that staff directly interacting with customers on the ground and in the Contact Centre have an opportunity to make an impact for customers. CX metrics and verbatims/stories relating to older customers should be tracked and shared across teams and partners, informing action. Continuously assess and support CSRs, to deliver best in class service for older customers. Quality monitoring contact centre calls, provides real life examples of older customer interactions that can be used as a basis for staff training and development. See attached supporting document; Age Friendly Customer Care line transcripts from two separate calls, analysed using AI to identify both CSR performance and customer sentiment during the call. All surveys should incorporate a feedback loop.

   Communicating insights as a knowledge share to the broader business and our stakeholders.

   • Provide staff training and upskilling:
   • Develop a quarterly forum to review customer and staff feedback, share updates from process owners, and collaborate to continuously improve for older customers.

   Creating opportunities within our organisation to promote a better understanding of older customer experiences, to discuss their challenges when accessing our services, and to be inspired by our service delivery counterparts.

   • Host CX Days throughout the year, to a diverse internal audience
   • At every opportunity, engage with CX leaders and industry experts to learn from best practice

3. Fundamental to successfully developing a customer centric culture, is empowering and celebrating staff to consistently deliver or older customers. Undertaking a comprehensive journey to understand older customers’ needs and experiences, is incomplete without the delivery of tangible and impactful outcomes. It is important to develop a tailored CX dashboard to measure and track success of deliverables for older customers, to support innovation for solutions and implementation of initiatives based on older customer’s experiences. It is critical to always keep the customers at the heart of operations, responding at every opportunity and creating accessible channels to services.

   Innovating solutions and implementing initiatives based on older customer’s experiences.

   • Develop a CX dashboard to monitor older customer sentiment
   • Encourage ideas for customer improvements

   Responding to customers and creating ever-improving channels to access our services.

   • Develop a Customer Improvements log
   • Empower front line staff to support older customers
   • Develop an employee recognition programme for customer care excellence

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Easy to access to channels of communication:

   Raising awareness that a dedicated Age Friendly service is available to our older customers has been a challenge. We successfully launched the service with Age Friendly Ireland, Age Friendly Ireland Older People’s Council, and Age Action’s support, which enjoyed a timely press release and social media coverage. However further targeted channels to heighten awareness among older customers are required.

   General response rates to SMS surveys can be low:

   To encourage customers to respond to our txt survey, for each completed response we donate to our charity partners in Age Action. To abate any concerns regarding IT scams, we reassure our older customers that the SMS survey is legitimate, by featuring information about the programme and the donation on both our own and Age Action’s websites.

2. Providing Training and upskilling:

   There is a heavy administrative and time burden associated with continuous training and upskilling. Curating a training programme of ever-evolving industry leading best practises, designing impactful and engaging modules that resonate, and securing frontline staff the required time away from their scheduled work is challenging. We recommend allocating appropriate budgets and resources to coordinate a strategy and long lead in, allowing teams the time to plan.

   Quarterly Insights into Action Forum:

   It is critical to secure Senior Leadership Team (SLT) support to ensure the effectiveness of a CX forum. Every team will have their own priorities, and resource limitations, which will inevitably conflict with the CX forum ambitions. However, with strong buy-in from SLT, process owners and forum participants are held accountable for the performance for older customers within their area. We recommend that the forum is chaired by a senior leader.

3. Developing a Customer Improvements log:

   Establishing a clear path accountability for tasks captured on the Customer Improvements log is critical for its effectiveness. Securing buy-in from SLT can sometimes be a challenge. We recommend obtaining support from Heads of Dept. and SLT as early in the process as possible and leveraging opportunities to share and celebrate actions and wins, as well as benefits of delivery.

   Employee recognition programme for customer care excellence:

   Ensuring a fair representation across the business can be a challenge. We recommend establishing an independent judging panel comprising representatives from across the business, who can review nominations and stories in an impartial manner. This also promotes awareness of the programme across departments, and encourages participation.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Over many years we have built up an established programme of customer experience monitoring. Surveying key customer journeys, and encouraging customer feedback from all demographics including older customers. We have a robust data bank of customer insights and understanding a to draw from, paired with in insights from frontline staff, to drive process improvements for older customers.

   Established channels to listen to our older customers include:

   • Monthly mystery shopping;
   Includes an older customer carrying out and rating various tailored shopping scenarios. This activity ensures we understand our older customers’ needs. Feedback from this shop in 2023, prompted our Age Friendly Customer care line initiative, when our mystery shopper expressed their frustration with the IVR system that was required to be in place on the general customer care line. Our new Age Friendly customer care line, was developed in direct response to this feedback, and removed the IVR, providing a direct link to an experienced and Age Friendly Communications trained agent.

   • A ‘Close the Loop’ capability,
   which provides an easily accessible opportunity via text message, for an older customer to engage with us if there is an additional issue they would like to bring to our attention.

   • Age Friendly Customer Care line;
   A dedicated customer care phone line established to offer a tailored support for older customers. Frontline staff received dedicated Age Friendly Communications training and guidance. Age Friendly Ireland Older People’s Council contributed to the development of this line by providing their own user insights and feedback.

   • Customer Accessibility Officer;
   Part of the role of our Access Officer is to ensure that our older customers, are provided with assistance and guidance in accessing our services and information.

   Established channels to understand our older customers include:

   • Programme of Customer Journey Mapping,
   Featuring an older customer persona which was designed from real customer insight.

   • Frontline staff feedback;
   Contact centre and field staff are encouraged to share their direct personal experiences when interacting with customers, including older customers.

   • Tailored CX dashboard for ‘Special Service’ registered customers,
   Of which older customers are a cohort.

   Our customers said:

   “I found the man who arrived from Gas Networks to be very efficient indeed and EXTREMELY nice. As an older customer I really appreciate that.”

   “Your representative was very positive and professional I am back in action, nice and warm for the winter as I am 70 so thank you.”

2. Integral to the success of our Insights into Action Programme, is communicating and working together effectively with our partners while empowering staff. Creating opportunities to spotlight the experiences of our older customers, is paramount to fostering a customer centric culture that delivers for our older customers.

   Communicating older customer insights as a knowledge share to the broader business and our stakeholders.

   • Provides Training and upskilling:
   Calls are recorded for quality monitoring and training purposes. Calls received from older customers are used as part of on-boarding training for new colleagues. We emphasise the importance of communication skills to and demonstrating empathy and an awareness of a customer’s needs, to create an enjoyable and helpful experience on the phone or via email. These calls are also played for other teams across the business to bring the customer experience to life, further embedding our customer first ethos.

   • Quarterly Insights into Action Forum:
   Chaired by Head of Customer Care and Communications, are attended by key process owners and focus on what can be done in response to the insights we gather from older customers. These forums provide a formal space to collaborate and drive action. Members of the forum are accountable for their processes. Actions are logged and tracked to completion.

   Creating opportunities within our organisation to promote a better understanding of older customer experiences, to discuss their challenges when accessing our services, and to be inspired by our service delivery counterparts.

   • CX Days
   These bi-annual days are attended by our Board, our Executive team, representatives from every level in the organisation and our delivery partners. We welcome customers to talk to us about their business, the challenges they face and how we can best work together. In 2024 we were thrilled to welcome Sylvia McCarthy, Age Friendly Ireland Head of Communications and Operations present to the room, on the importance of caring for our older customers. We have also, in previous CX Days also hosted an older customer who shared their own personal experience of engaging with Gas Networks Ireland.

   • Learn from best practice:
   We proactively seek opportunities for information sharing regarding delivering for older customers, with industry partners e.g. Gas suppliers share their learnings via regular GMARG meetings. We participate in industry webinars and seminars, in Ireland and UK to understand and replicate best practices for older customers. Long-standing relationship with our charity partners, Age Action. Welcomed support from Age Friendly Ireland.

   Our customers said:

   ‘My dads 80 & the guy that called out explained in lay-mans terms everything he was checking, my dad understood everything which made him feel reassured’

   “Your representative, Lee, was extremely helpful with my query. And he responded with kindness and clarity to an ‘older’ person’s worry”

3. We recognise that undertaking such a comprehensive journey to understand our older customers’ needs and experiences, is incomplete without the delivery of tangible and impactful outcomes. Our people are the heart of our customer care ethos, and are committed to putting out customer’s first. We’re proud of our mature Insights into Action Programme which supports, empowers and celebrate our wonderful staff who consistently deliver successful outcomes for older customers.

   Innovating solutions and implementing initiatives based on older customer’s experiences.

   • Tailored CX dashboard
   For ‘Special Service’ registered customers, of which older customers are a cohort, provides a platform to measure the success of initiatives. Using the specialised CX dashboard we can monitor older customer satisfaction over time, noting trends and identifying impact of initiatives on customer sentiment.

   • Voice of the Customer (VOC) Programme
   Our VOC programme is a mechanism to empower contact centre customer service representatives (CSR) to make a difference. Throughout the year, customer improvement ideas are submitted by CSR’s for consideration and any idea implemented is rewarded.

   Responding to customers and creating ever-improving channels to access our services.

   • Customer Improvements Initiative Register
   Formal Customer Improvements Initiative Register which is available for all staff to update their ideas/actions to enhance customer experience. 76 initiatives were completed on the register in 2024. Two initiatives we’re proud to have included on our register last year, are;
   1. our new Age Friendly Customer Care line, and
   2. our ‘Security Password Process’ both now operational and receiving great feedback from customers.

   • Process to empower front line staff to highlight the potential requirement of additional supports for an older customer.
   We make special provisions for older customers who require special services. In order for older customers to avail of these free services, they must be officially registered through their own gas supplier. We work closely with all gas suppliers to flag unregistered older customers who need additional support.

   • ‘above & beyond for our customers’ employee recognition programme
   Inspires everyone across the organisation. The above&beyond for our customers recognition programme was developed as a tool to reward, recognise, and engage all to work together to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers. This programme coordinated by Gas Networks Ireland CX Team and supported by our partners GMC, Murphy’s, and CPM along with GNI Executive Support is a method of inspiring, engaging, and advocating for the customer centric ethos that we live and breathe at Gas Networks Ireland. We always highlight those exceptional experiences delivered to our older customers which encourages others e.g.

   Example from 2025 Q1 nomination pool:

   “ I would like to nominate the following for the effort and works they completed for a customer on site last week please. Andrew Baldwin & x2 apprentices Ben Morris & Liam O’Reilly. They went above and beyond on this job to ensure this older and vulnerable customer was not without gas. The customer’s wife is not well and the lads pulled out all the stops to complete this job overcoming many onsite obstacles. They even assisted the customer with some redecorating to patch up some minor holes within his home on the back of these works and rehang some photos for the customer following all of these works. Thanks, Andrew, Ben and Liam for looking after this one.”

   Our customers said;

   “Helping an elder with their gas and electric today. Great service from Gas Networks Ire. Modern resources for convenience online, code scanning, etc. I don’t reckon this is ideal for older folks such as whom I was helping out today, as they’re not techy and it panics them to even use a phone. But this is a great option for tech-literate people, especially care workers, friends of the elderly and their family who can help older loved ones manage quickly and efficiently via digital and remote means. (Especially vital these days with limited socialisation)…

   Also, grateful for the prompt replies via email, signed off with agent’s name(a welcome detail not always included even in official communique). Re. call centre: no huge delay to get through. Very impressed…

   A company that deals with customers like the good old days – with duty, respect and patience. Had been losing faith in a lot of main providers since 2011, thereabouts. Services seemed to have turn highly corporate at that point in Ireland…

   Happy with this team. Happy for them too, that they will certainly enjoy the fruits of their efforts, as it truly goes a long way for the customer. And they seem to genuinely care about their customers…
   P.S. Meter record cards are of a print size that is elder-friendly! It is not fussy or complicated and it has ‘how to’ simple descriptions and diagrams. Thanks for this. Older folks SO need larger, bolder visible print on EVERYTHING ranging from appliances such as microwaves, to food packaging, to medication, to bills, etc.
   Good on you for that attention to detail. Thanks again.”