❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks detailed data on Synergy's customer complaint handling performance. The response refers to the ERA report and outlines customer service initiatives, but lacks specific data requested.
AnsweredQoN 2952Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(a) what is the average time taken by Synergy to attend to any customer complaint received by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(b) what is the average time taken by Synergy to answer any customer complaint received by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(c) what is the average time taken by Synergy to rectify any customer complaint received by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(d) what is the number of all customer complaints received by Synergy from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence; and
(e) what is the number of all customer complaints rectified to the customer’s satisfaction between 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence?
(2) Improved customer service was a nominated essential requirement to result from the dissection of the Western Power single energy utility into four separate entities. My electorate of Avon is inundated by constituent complaints regarding the performance of Synergy and others. I therefore ask the Minister what are these customer service benefits?
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(b) what is the average time taken by Synergy to answer any customer complaint received by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(c) what is the average time taken by Synergy to rectify any customer complaint received by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence;
(d) what is the number of all customer complaints received by Synergy from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence; and
(e) what is the number of all customer complaints rectified to the customer’s satisfaction between 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 by:
(i) telephone;
(ii) facsimile;
(iii) email/Internet; and
(iv) postal correspondence?
(2) Improved customer service was a nominated essential requirement to result from the dissection of the Western Power single energy utility into four separate entities. My electorate of Avon is inundated by constituent complaints regarding the performance of Synergy and others. I therefore ask the Minister what are these customer service benefits?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 March 2008
Responded by
Minister for Energy
Response time
105 days
Synergy has provided the Minister for Energy with the following response.
An important initiative of this government aimed at improving customer service standards has been the establishment of the
Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers
, which sets standards for customer service and is overseen by the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA). In January, the ERA published its annual report on the performance of electricity retailers titled
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers
, which includes reporting on performance against the Code of Conduct. The report is available from the ERA website.
(1a) (i) Please refer to the ERA
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers.
(ii-iv) All customer complaints received by Synergy are acknowledged and attended to within 24 hours generally via the same medium that the customer has used to contact Synergy.
(b-d) Please refer to the ERA
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers.
(e) (i-iv) All complaints are taken through to resolution by Synergy. Resolution infers Synergy has done what it can do to rectify complaints, however Synergy is not able satisfy all customer expectations. It is also important to note Synergy is dependent on services from third parties, such as for connections and meter reading, and some complaints received by Synergy will arise from the service provided by third parties.
(2) Since its establishment, Synergy has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at improving customer services including the following:
· In July 2006, Synergy announced its inaugural Customer Advocate. The Customer Advocate is an internal ombudsman responsible for championing the cause of customers throughout the Corporation. The Customer Advocate has a mandate to operate independently of Synergy's business and is charged with investigating systemic issues related to Synergy's customer services with a view to improving customers' experience.
· During the 2006/07 financial year Synergy implemented significant changes to the contact centre call menu that customers are required to navigate to talk to the appropriate Customer Service Representative. These changes have made it easier for customers to navigate the menu to speak to the right person.
· Technology has been implemented to record calls coming into the contact centre to identify training needs, as well as deficiencies in systems and processes. This ensures continued customer service improvement.
· Synergy has developed and launched a user-friendly interactive calculator, which is available on its website, to advise customers of the running costs of appliances and the volume of carbon dioxide emissions created by their electricity consumption.
· In response to feedback from its customers, Synergy launched a variable direct debit facility in May 2007, which provides customers with a simple and convenient payment option where the exact amount of their bill is deducted from their nominated bank or credit account. Direct debit assists customers by ensuring their accounts are paid on time.
· In July, Synergy launched E-Bill, a group billing product for customers with multiple sites. E-Bill consolidates billing information from multiple sites into one invoice for customers' convenience.
· Also in July, Synergy launched Challenger, an online energy analysis tool to help businesses improve energy efficiency.
· For customers building their own home, Synergy developed an energy efficient home design tool. This tool is an interactive demonstration that takes home builders through the key design features required to create a comfortable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly home.
·During the 2006/07 financial year, the decision was taken to replace Synergy's Customer Information and Customer Relationship Management systems. This will ensure Synergy is capable of operating efficiently and effectively in an increasingly competitive market, with a system that provides customer service reliability and flexibility.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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An important initiative of this government aimed at improving customer service standards has been the establishment of the
Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers
, which sets standards for customer service and is overseen by the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA). In January, the ERA published its annual report on the performance of electricity retailers titled
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers
, which includes reporting on performance against the Code of Conduct. The report is available from the ERA website.
(1a) (i) Please refer to the ERA
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers.
(ii-iv) All customer complaints received by Synergy are acknowledged and attended to within 24 hours generally via the same medium that the customer has used to contact Synergy.
(b-d) Please refer to the ERA
2006/07 Annual Performance Report on Electricity Retailers.
(e) (i-iv) All complaints are taken through to resolution by Synergy. Resolution infers Synergy has done what it can do to rectify complaints, however Synergy is not able satisfy all customer expectations. It is also important to note Synergy is dependent on services from third parties, such as for connections and meter reading, and some complaints received by Synergy will arise from the service provided by third parties.
(2) Since its establishment, Synergy has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at improving customer services including the following:
· In July 2006, Synergy announced its inaugural Customer Advocate. The Customer Advocate is an internal ombudsman responsible for championing the cause of customers throughout the Corporation. The Customer Advocate has a mandate to operate independently of Synergy's business and is charged with investigating systemic issues related to Synergy's customer services with a view to improving customers' experience.
· During the 2006/07 financial year Synergy implemented significant changes to the contact centre call menu that customers are required to navigate to talk to the appropriate Customer Service Representative. These changes have made it easier for customers to navigate the menu to speak to the right person.
· Technology has been implemented to record calls coming into the contact centre to identify training needs, as well as deficiencies in systems and processes. This ensures continued customer service improvement.
· Synergy has developed and launched a user-friendly interactive calculator, which is available on its website, to advise customers of the running costs of appliances and the volume of carbon dioxide emissions created by their electricity consumption.
· In response to feedback from its customers, Synergy launched a variable direct debit facility in May 2007, which provides customers with a simple and convenient payment option where the exact amount of their bill is deducted from their nominated bank or credit account. Direct debit assists customers by ensuring their accounts are paid on time.
· In July, Synergy launched E-Bill, a group billing product for customers with multiple sites. E-Bill consolidates billing information from multiple sites into one invoice for customers' convenience.
· Also in July, Synergy launched Challenger, an online energy analysis tool to help businesses improve energy efficiency.
· For customers building their own home, Synergy developed an energy efficient home design tool. This tool is an interactive demonstration that takes home builders through the key design features required to create a comfortable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly home.
·During the 2006/07 financial year, the decision was taken to replace Synergy's Customer Information and Customer Relationship Management systems. This will ensure Synergy is capable of operating efficiently and effectively in an increasingly competitive market, with a system that provides customer service reliability and flexibility.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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