CUSTOMER SERVICES
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CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 3
Introduction 4
Customer Relationship Management provides services to approximately 690,000
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customers supported by THESL’s Call Center, Escalations Group and Key Accounts
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Team. The Call Centre handles an average of 47,000 written requests including e-mails,
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and 600,000 customer telephone inquiries per year. The Call Centre also receives
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approximately 97,000 calls annually from customers reporting a power outage or wires
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down. The Escalations Group successfully handles high level customer complaints
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including those received from the OEB, THESL’s Senior Executives, local and provincial
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political representatives, and the Key Accounts team ensures all concerns of THESL’s
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large volume customers are given timely attention.
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Activities 15
Customer inquiries to the Call Center cover a broad spectrum and involve most aspects of
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THESL’s business including:
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• ensuring customer records are updated as required to track customer moves and
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other changes in customer information;
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• verifying information and providing explanations relating to account
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management, billing, consumption and collections;
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• responding to inquiries regarding Time-of-Use (“TOU”) billing and assisting
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customers with the TOU web tool;
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• responding to inquiries relating to Conservation and Demand Management
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(“CDM”) Programs including Summer Savings, Peak Saver, Refrigerator Round
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Up, Keep Cool and other programs sponsored by THESL; and
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• providing first contact for power outage calls. Using the Outage Management
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System, Customer Service Representatives enter the information for follow up by
the Customer Service Dispatch team. They dispatch a Field Service
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Representative or pass the information to the Control Center for action.
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The Escalations Group resolves customer concerns covering all areas of THESL. The
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concerns raised most frequently relate to power outages and high consumption. These
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customer concerns are received as follows:
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• approximately 1,000 customer issues annually are escalated through the Call
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Centre during daily operations;
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• another 150 are received though THESL’s Senior Executives and City
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Councillors; and
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• approximately 40 are received directly from the OEB.
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The Key Accounts Team responds to issues raised by large Commercial and Industrial
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customers and assists with their energy management concerns in a timely manner. Large
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Users often have complex needs spanning various areas of THESL. The team’s role is to:
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• meet with customers as required to resolve billing issues, coordinate planned
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outages and explore possible CDM projects;
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• act as a single point of contact and liaise with internal departments to better meet
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the needs of this customer group; and
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• build and maintain positive relationships with the business community.
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Dedicated, knowledgeable staff, process improvements, and the use of technology have
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allowed THESL to consistently meet or exceed OEB performance level targets in the
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areas of telephone and written response. The Call Centre answered, on average, 82
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percent of calls within 30 seconds from 2005 to 2009. Written inquiries were responded
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to in ten days, on average, 93 percent of the time during the same period.
Along with process improvements and technology, cost escalation has been mitigated by
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utilizing an outsource Call Centre to assist in the handling of the daily call volumes. This
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enables THESL to maintain the required staffing levels to ensure service targets are
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achieved. The Call Centre is able to react to forecast demands of higher or lower call
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volumes within a shorter time frame. It is efficient and cost effective to add or reduce
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staff at the outsource call centre as call volumes and other work requirements dictate.
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Internal resources can then be utilized for tasks of a complex nature or that require
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depth industry knowledge.
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The introduction of TOU rates in June 2009 increased call volumes by approximately 12
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percent in the first quarter of 2010. Further increases to call volumes are forecast, as the
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number of accounts on TOU billing increases. The majority of customers will have
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received their first TOU-based bill by mid 2010. TOU rate increases are also anticipated
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to have an impact on call volumes. As a result, an increase in Call Centre resources has
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been necessary. Additional staff training has been required for all internal and external
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Call Centre resources to ensure customer inquiries on TOU billing, energy management
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tools and web presentment of customer data are handled efficiently and effectively. By
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the end of 2010, 90 percent of all residential and small commercial customers will be on
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TOU rates. It is expected that by 2011 call volumes will stabilize to a normal level, as
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customers grow accustomed to TOU rates.
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The introduction of a new Customer Information System (“CIS”) in the latter part of
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2010 will result in significant impacts in customer relationship processes. Staff is being
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trained in both the business process changes and the operating procedures for the new
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CIS. This will impact overall performance during the transition period.
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As the technology age continues to evolve, customers are demanding more self service
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features and tools to proactively manage their accounts. From 2009-2011, the Customer
Relationship Management team will be focusing on customer service improvements
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through a variety of technology and communication methodologies. For details, refer to
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Exhibit D1, Tab 8, Schedule 8-3. These improvements will decrease routine customer
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inquiries, allowing THESL to redirect resources to more complex work. They will also
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provide customers with 24/7 access to account information, and the means to proactively
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manage their electricity cost and usage. THESL will be expanding the information and
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self-service options available on its web site; redesigning our Interactive Voice Response
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(“IVR”) to provide easier access to information and call centre services; and utilizing
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new technology to ensure customer inquiries are resolved during the first call. In 2009,
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on-line moves were launched, allowing customers and lawyers to electronically submit
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move requests. Enhancements were also made to the IVR to increase call volume
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capacity during storm situations. In 2010 the TOU portal was enhanced, providing
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accessibility options, daily temperature averages (highs and lows),and more options to
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view consumption and costs, THESL is also working on providing TOU data and
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bill consumption alerts to PDA devices. Customers will also have the ability to
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electronically report power outages, both on the Web and from PDA devices. The initial
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pilot project will be launched in July 2010 to Blackberry users. With the launch of the
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new customer information system later in 2010, THESL will then focus on integrating
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self-service options with the new CIS behind a “log-in” to create customized options for
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customers in 2011. Additional improvements to the IVR are also planned, from both
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navigation and self-service perspectives.
Costs 1
Table 1: Customer Relationship Management Operating Costs ($ millions) 2
2008 Actual 2009 Historical 2010 Bridge 2011 Test Customer Relationship
Management 10.0 9.8 11.3 10.8
The decrease in operating costs from 2008 to 2009 of $0.20 million was due to:
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• $0.2 million decrease is due to a one-time transfer of labour costs to a project to
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repair/replace handwells (Contact Voltage Emergency Project) in 2009;
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• $0.4 million represents an increase in the outsource Call Centre costs to cover an
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increase in call volume due to the TOU rate implementation in 2009; and
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• $0.4 million represents a decrease in payroll costs due to a transfer of resources to
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Accounts Receivable.
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The increase in operating costs from 2009 to 2010 is $1.5 million and is due to:
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• $0.7 million increase in the outsource Call Centre budget in 2010 to cover the
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hiring of additional staff to accommodate the higher call volumes expected due to
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implementation of TOU billing and to facilitate CIS training and the post
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conversion transition. This is to ensure that customers are provided with the tools
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and necessary information to assist them in managing their energy usage and to
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maintain service levels. Costs are expected to level off in 2011, as customers
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adjust to TOU rates;
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• $0.2 million has been allocated to manage web data, updates and self service
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features in 2010. Over the next two years, THESL will be introducing customer
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self service features using web-based technology;
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• $0.2 million increase as a result of the 2009 one-time transfer of labour costs to
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the Contact Voltage Emergency project; and
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• $0.4 million is for a contracted increase in labour costs.
The decrease in operating costs from 2010 to 2011 is $0.5 million:
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• $0.7 million decrease in the outsource Call Centre budget in 2011, based on the
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assumption that TOU rates and the CIS conversion will no longer impact call
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volumes;
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• $0.3 million for a contracted increase in labour costs in 2011; and
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• $0.1 million decrease in overtime and temporary labour costs associated with the
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CIS conversion in 2010. Temporary staff was utilized to backfill for resources
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dedicated to the CIS project in 2010.
