Executive Summary
An Australian energy and utilities provider increased first-contact resolution by 18% and reduced service costs by 12% through process redesign, targeted coaching, and technology-enabled workflow improvements.
Client Overview
The client is a regional utilities company servicing thousands of households and small businesses. Its contact centre manages high volumes of billing, outage, and service enquiries across phone, email, and webchat.
Challenge
The organisation was experiencing rising pressure across customer operations due to:
- High enquiry volumes during billing cycles and outage events.
- Low first-contact resolution (FCR) rates, leading to repeat calls and customer frustration.
- Escalation-heavy culture, with frontline agents transferring enquiries rather than resolving.
- Inefficient processes, increasing handling time and driving up operating costs.
Solution
We undertook a comprehensive diagnostic and improvement program to address the challenges:
- Analysed interaction data and call recordings to pinpoint root causes of repeat contacts.
- Mapped end-to-end enquiry resolution processes across billing and outage workflows.
- Assessed agent performance and transfer patterns, identifying skill gaps.
- Introduced a program of targeted coaching, process simplification, and system prompts to improve issue resolution at first contact.
Outcome
The initiative delivered clear improvements in both performance and customer experience:
- 18% uplift in first-contact resolution within 60 days.
- 12% cost savings through reduced repeat contacts and shorter handling times.
- 30% reduction in escalations, freeing higher-level teams for complex cases.
- Improved agent confidence and capability, leading to faster, more consistent outcomes.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction scores, particularly during billing and outage periods.
Strategic Impact
By simplifying processes and empowering frontline agents, the client moved from a reactive service model to a proactive, resolution-first culture. The improved FCR not only reduced costs but also strengthened customer trust in a highly competitive utilities market.