A price adjustment on 1 January ties up the advisers well into February.
The new price sheet is on the sales drive, the old one in the billing system, and the default supply prices are also on the customer portal. When a customer calls about the new unit rate, the adviser first looks for the current version, then the clause in the contract, then the annual consumption from the last bill. If the figure given differs from a colleague's answer, the case is put down for a callback.
3price levelsOld tariff, new tariff and default supply all apply side by side in January.
4storage locationsPrice sheets sit on the sales drive, in the billing system, on the portal and in customer letters.
9 minutessearching per callBy the time the valid version and the right contract clause are to hand, the call is half over.
2answers per caseBecause the first answer carried no reference, the customer calls a second time.
On the morning after the price adjustment, every call is dealt with once instead of twice, the nine minutes of searching go with it, and the case takes 50% less handling time.
The 50% reduction in handling time is the headline figure recorded for this agent. The price levels, storage locations and minutes of searching in the chain reflect a typical January in customer service; they are not measured values.