Bernard Mooney - Gas Networks Ireland, Customer Care Manager. Presented on Customer Experience at the World Gas Conference in Washington D.C. in June 2018.

1. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Harnessing Customer Feedback for Outstanding
Customer Experience
Bernard Mooney, Customer Care Manager
Gas Networks Ireland

2. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Agenda
• Key Learnings
• Case Study – Gas Networks Ireland
• Conclusions
2

3. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Key Learnings
• Utilities are traditionally safety-focussed,
engineering led organisations
• Increasingly, Utility Regulators are setting
demanding targets for Customer Experience
• Delivering excellent customer experience will yield
significant results and drive business efficiencies

4. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Who we are
• Gas Networks Ireland
(GNI) owns, operates,
builds and maintains the
natural gas network in
Ireland. By serving our
customers and
collaborating with our
partners, we continually
advance the utilisation of
the gas networks for the
benefit of Ireland.

5. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Our History
1971
1977
2000
2009
2012
2013
2015
2016
First full year of
operation of Bord
Gais Eireann
with just 32 staff
 43 nominations in
customer service
awards since 2009
 Winning 15 awards
 3 highly recommended
Irelands first
indigenous
reserve of natural
gas was found
1,000m below the
sea bed
Bord Gais Networks was
renamed to Gas Networks
Ireland. There was now
673,000 customers and
€897m was paid in
dividends to the state
Irish government
announced it was to
put Bord Gais Energy
the supply and power
generation side up for
sale
Bord Gais
purchased wind
power and built a
power generation
plant
 The beginning of the
Customer Journey.
 Outsourced partnerships with
FEXCO – Contact Centre
 BBCLG – Field Staff
 W5 CX monitoring partners
Bord Gais Eireann Group to
become a multi utility operator
with responsibility of protecting
the core infrastructure assets of
both gas and water. Bord Gais
Eireann was renamed to
ERVIA.

6. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Our Numbers
Ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of gas to our customers
24hrs/day
7 days / week
673,000
Domestic
Customers
25,000
Business
Customers
556
Employees
Delivering a “joined-up and seamless” customer experience that puts customers first
while operating an outsourced model with key business partners
Contact Centre
40 CSRs 4 mgmt. team
Field Staff
Customer
Experience
Measurement
Programme
And collaborating with external stakeholders
Commission
for Regulation
of Utilities
32
Local
Authorities
Register of Gas
Installers of
Ireland
Gas Suppliers
and Shippers

7. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Through our CX
measurement
programme we
stand in our
customer’s shoes,
seeing things from
their perspective
and then
systematically take
action on what we
have learned.
Customer
experience is
the sum of all
experiences our
customers have
with us, over the
duration of their
relationship.
GNI Stop and Think | 2016
This experience is
delivered through
our brand promise
and brand values,
and how these
are demonstrated
through our
actions and
behaviours, and
those of our
partners.
Aligning our customers experience with our brand
values

8. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Customers First
This strategy has
allowed us to move
from a safety only
focus to putting the
customer at the heart
at everything we do.

9. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Insights into Action
• Collect relevant, accurate and timely data to identify insights
• Put the customer at the centre
• Identify quick wins and process changes
• Integrate Brand Values
• Seek out and integrate best practice
• Incorporate the perspective of employees and other stakeholders
• Embed it across the organisation
• Broad and deep
• Always ask why?

10. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
The Meter Replacement Programme
GNI is replacing all domestic gas meters over 20yrs old to
ensure Ireland’s natural gas pipeline network continues to
be one of the most modern, efficient and safest in the world.
Example of Insights into Action – Meter Replacement Programme
• Improved Tone of
Communication
• Focused on Staff
training
• Accessibility and
Appointments – made
it easier to make
appointments and
introduced shorter 2 hr
apt slots
• Process efficiencies
on the ground –
replacing broken
meter boxes while on
site
“I had to stay home from
work to facilitate the work
- it should be possible to
have it done at a
weekend or late evening”
“I had to take a half
day to accommodate
the appointment”

11. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Result
Assessing the impact of MRP initiative
Efficiencies
Cost
Savings
Company
Culture
Improved
Brand
Loyalty
On average 78% of customers now
allow GNI access their homes to
replace meters, up from 58% at the
end of 2014 – maximising workload
for GNI field staff.
BEFORE – projects
managed reactively
NOW – customer
needs put first
30% jobs now
include meter box
repairs, 3,000 man
hours saved
“A good range of options for appointment dates.
Received a call when I was a bit slow
responding to the letter which was convenient.
The employee who came to fit the meter called
beforehand and was able to able to come a bit
earlier at my request. All in all good experience.”
33
39 42
64
68
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Net Promoter Score

12. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
NO GAS
Customers call when they have no gas; driven by customer
insights we focused on empowering CSRs to handle these through
a call rather than sending a fitter out to resolve their issue
Assessing the impact of No Gas initiative
Cost
Efficiencies
Increase
average 18%
over 1.5yrs –
no gas calls
handled by
Contact Centre
Meter
Functionality
Customer
Education
(Digital
Comms)
8,000 customers back on gas through
phone call rather than waiting for a
fitter to call 24hrs later
22% savings by
reducing the number
of fitter call outs over
1.5 yrs.
Customer
Experience
Value
Cost to
serve

13. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Overall Benefits to Gas Networks Ireland
NPS Overall Score Satisfaction Effort
Initiatives
Since 2007, we have implemented
513 Customer Improvement
Initiatives. That’s an average of 50
improvements to the services we
deliver each year.
Above and Beyond
Since 2016, GNI has rewarded
241 staff for going above and
beyond for our customers.
Recipients of Awards, April 2018
Driving a culture of customer centricity

14. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
By focusing on First Contact Resolution, we have delivered cost
savings to the business. For example, removing site visits resulting in:
 22% reduction in costs for No Gas Calls
 A rise from 40% to 80% in connections sold over the phone.
 A 37% reduction in unwanted calls on the emergency phone line.
 7% increase overall in FCR since 2012.
In the last two years there has been an increase of:
 129% New Housing Units contracted
 15% Industrial/Commercial load contracted
Building the Status of Gas
Getting it right first time

15. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
68
75
83
77
88 88
85
88
89 89
69
79
88
83
88
85
86
90
91 91
71
79
86
81
89 89
86
89
92
93
71
86
90
86
89 89
85
88
94 94
71
76
85
78
83 83 83
88
89
90
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Customer Service Performing Integrity Safety Collaboration Linear (Customer Service )
Better delivery of GNI brand promise

16. #WGC2018
FUELING THE FUTURE
Fuelling for the future
• The future is all about
customer experience.
• Customers always have an
experience - good, bad or
indifferent. The challenge is
to influence customers in a
way that differentiates this
experience and delivers
value.
• GNI can demonstrate that by
listening effectively and
working collaboratively, you
can truly put customers first
and improve business
efficiencies and customer
experiences.