So PR - An award-winning, multi-discipline PR company with a national & international client base.

CE Electric UK

We helped to change the mindset of 151 very unhappy customers during a major incident and provided invaluable support to the customer service team.

A major incident affected the electricity supply to some 550 customers in Bridlington, North Yorkshire. Power was quickly restored to 400 customers, but the nature of the incident resulted in the remaining 151 customers being without electricity for an extended period.

"SO was an invaluable asset during this challenging period. They helped to improve the overall mood of customers and enabled our customer service team to focus on processing compensation claims and ensure that all the customers' power went back on as quickly as possible." 

David Gill, head of customer service, CE Electric UK

The context

As CE Electric UK's Customer Relations Centre (CRC) was inundated with calls throughout the weekend, the client felt the company's customers would benefit from SO's expert assistance.  

On the Sunday evening following the incident, David Gill telephoned SO director Sue Ferguson to brief her on the issue and requested the team be on standby to assist with customer and media relations. 

The task

• To ensure first class customer service was delivered to everyone of the 151 customers
  
• To reduce the level of calls and complaints to the CRC and enable the team to be more proactive
  
• To placate any negative feelings towards CE Electric UK
  
• To build up community relationships and provide effective and accurate communications
  
• To demonstrate that CE Electric UK is a caring organisation 
  
• To keep the media up-to-date and informed

What we did

For the next couple of weeks, SO lived and breathed the Bridlington incident, doing everything to ensure customers were informed and CE Electric UK's reputation remained intact.

• We manned the community relations line and processed calls.
  
• We drafted customer letters
  
• We wrote scripts for the CRC advisors
  
• We produced Q&A documents
  
• We liaised with CE Electric UK Contact Relations Centre (CRC) staff and customer ambassadors
  
• We liaised with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau
  
• We provided stress advice
  
• We produced of twice daily call logs
  
• We handled over 100 calls, many of which were from disgruntled repeat callers

The results

• Within hours of SO taking customers' calls, the general mood had begun to change
  
• Speaking to a knowledgeable individual who was coming right back to them with answers to their questions made them calm down and appreciate the information they were receiving
  
• SO's involvement enabled the CRC advisors to focus on other crucial engineering and technical support duties
  
• SO provided vital information on the mindset of those affected and how best to communicate with them at varying stages of the crisis