NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, August 16, 2013

Ebico, a certified social enterprise and a supplier of gas and electricity, has just beaten off tough competition to land the top spot in the latestWhich? survey of energy company customer service.

At Ebico, our dedicated staff team have been tackling fuel poverty through commercial activity for almost 15 years, so we’re delighted to be recognised in the recent Which? survey. My advice is to:

• Treat your customers fairly and be transparent with pricing. When working in a highly competitive environment, pricing strategies are sometimes used to confuse the customer. We have one price plan for gas and electricity and refuse to charge “un-banked” customers any more than customers who are able to pay by direct debit. We’ve provided freephone numbers for landline callers and geographic numbers for mobile callers – to help customers keep their phone bills down, as well as their energy bills.

• Stay competitive. You’re offering an ethical service, but no one wants to pay more for something than they really need to. Despite being a not–for–profit business, it is essential to recognise that you are still a commercial company competing with full–profit organisations. So, to thrive, you have to keep services competitive. Customers are looking for value. What gives your service value that others can’t easily replicate?