Companies in the UK are struggling to keep up with their customers’ high expectations. In a 2018 Salesforce report on Connected Customers, about half the respondents said most companies fell short of their expectations for great experiences and 80% indicated that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.
Customers are not afraid of showing their dissatisfaction through their wallets. Over 60% of people reported that they had stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better experience.
However, demanding, discerning customers, should not be seen as a problem. For companies that do manage to exceed their customer expectations, the rewards are significant. KMPG found that ‘customer-centric’ organizations are 38% more likely to report greater profitability than their competitors.
For any company working within energy supply, energy services or energy products, the simple way to improve your customers’ experience is to help them to save energy. Energy Saving Trust’s research supports the fact that customers want companies to be proactive in this area. Over 40% of customers are more likely to buy white goods (followed closely by consumer electronics, light bulbs and heating products), if they are provided with information on how to use less energy. Research by Nielsen found that 66% of consumers were willing to pay more for sustainable brands (and that goes up to 73% of millennials).
But what form should this energy saving advice take? What will resonate with the savvy shopper who is looking for an exceptional experience? And how can energy advice connect you to customers so that they feel loyal to your brand?
Clearly, a few half-hearted references to over-filling kettles isn’t what today’s discerning consumers are looking for. In a world when facts can be (and are) checked at the touch of a button, there is nothing that puts a customer off more than factual errors and disingenuous claims. Indeed, the rise of the ‘BS Detector’, particularly for millennials, has been a talking point for marketers in recent years.
Trust is key. Leading brands seek to build trust whenever possible because trust forms the basis of relationships. A staggering 95% of customers say that trusting a company increases their loyalty.
Energy Saving Trust has a long history of understanding how consumers interact with energy efficiency in the home. The way people use energy is constantly changing. Consumer attitudes, government policy, business strategies and evolving technologies all have an effect, but real understanding is in short supply. We have over 25 years’ experience of providing trusted, independent energy saving advice. We are sharing this understanding with organisations that are looking to develop deeper relationships with their customers.
For example, we have worked with organisations such as British Gas, which needed to ensure that its energy saving messages were consistent across all consumer touch points (vital for building trust), and Beko, which needed reliable, independent and credible messages to support a new eco appliance range.
When it comes to delivering energy saving advice, the role of ‘trusted intermediaries’ has been well-documented as a means of increasing up-take and engagement with customers. Energy Saving Trust’s Infact service offers organisations the opportunity to tap into our expertise – ranging from the provision of consumer-ready energy saving facts and figures to in-depth consultancy and bespoke marketing support. Organisations that work with us on their energy saving communications also have the opportunity to use our trusted logo on their consumer messages.
Building trust with smart, modern consumers can be tricky, but the rewards are great. Actively supporting customers to save money and improve the environments through energy saving messaging can be the beginning of a beautiful customer relationship.
