This week SSE announced that they would be hiking up their prices by 14.9%. With most energy companies doing the same, customers are deciding whether to switch or stick. We analysed the Twitter customer care channels of the companies in the UK to see who provides the best customer experience and which is worth the switch.
Here at Adoreboard, our Emotion analytics tool Emotics provides a pathway to measure emotional intensity around experiences, understand the main themes driving emotional intensity and make informed decisions to actively improve customer experience and loyalty. We don’t just identify trends, we define and identify feelings expressed and uncover the topics driving those feelings.
6) Scottish Power
Scottish Power places at the bottom of our list with an Adorescore of 27. High levels of disgust were driven by customers complaining about long periods on hold for customer queries and failure of staff returning calls.
Scottish Power’s customers had 21% more disgust in mentions than the industry average. Scottish Power could implement steps to improve their wait times for customer queries or streamline services via bettering online customer care to reduce pressure on phone lines.
2 and 1/2 hours. Cut off twice!! Official complaint coming your way. No call back!
— LezaStarkey (@LezaStarkey) March 14, 2017
after speaking to your complaints team you said you would call last Monday. No call!
— Paul Robertson (@Celticrobo) March 14, 2017
5) NPower
NPower follows at number 5 with an Adorescore of 35. High levels of anger and disgust were also caused by delays in speaking with customer services regarding complaints. Npower had the lowest level of joy compared to the other six companies with 5% below industry average.
Similarly to Scottish Power, Npower must work to reduce customer waiting times to improve their customer experience.
https://twitter.com/JadeMcInnes/status/839449771580481536
Log a complaint and still no response after 2 weeks @npowerhelp #wherestheservice
— Clare Hemsley (@ClareHemsley1) March 14, 2017
4) E.On
E.On came joint fourth with an Adorescore of 38, and high levels of disgust caused by customer frustration with technical issues regarding the website and app.
E.On should aim to improve their online services to reduce disgust levels among their customers, enhance the customer’s user experience and reduce the number of complaints online.
@EONhelp Why is your website so slow? I've paid my bill and yet it still says You owe us money. I don't. Please get it to update faster
— Writer (@DaisyFraser) March 10, 2017
@EONhelp is your server down eon?
Trying to top up and apps saying toe forbidden.
Not very happy…nearly out of gas!— Kim Cresswell Davies (@thewritersmuse) March 13, 2017
4) British Gas
British Gas matched emotional intensity with E.On with an Adorescore of 38. Sadness was driven by customer complaints regarding negative customer service experiences including call back failures and rude customer service representatives.
However, some positivity was driven when levels of trust were increased by friendly engineers providing good customer service during house calls.
https://twitter.com/ultraplodder/status/841593132064100352
That moment when you wished you'd not bothered switching, worst service ever. @BritishGas @BritishGasHelp
— Styleimage Photos (@styleimagephoto) March 14, 2017
2) SSE
Despite having the second highest Adorescore of 41, SSE’s customer service did not perform well, with the a high Anger Index score being driven by complaints regarding customer wait time and the recent cost rise announcement. SSE’s partnership with Capital FM hosted a talent show event in South Wales, Spotlight, which spiked levels of joy expressed towards @yourSSE at the time of analysis.
What a night at #SSESpotlight showcase, with @YourSSE @CapSouthWales! The top 3 were all amazing @kieranmarsh_10 @wattsjade @FireFences pic.twitter.com/059RsJs3HI
— Stefanie Sharman (@StefSharman) March 14, 2017
Ill just be switching SSE. Your taking the piss with 15% rise. So long 👌
— JP (@parkyster) March 13, 2017
1) EDF Energy
Charity partnerships and support led to high levels of trust being expressed on social media towards EDF energy. Messages of gratitude from customers regarding good customer service drive high levels of both trust and joy.
EDF had the highest levels of joy of the big six. EDF customers expressed 18% more joy than the others.
https://twitter.com/PinPointHealth/status/840137565009190912
This is fantastic news! A great initiative to inspire young girls to engage with #STEM. Congrats @edfenergy @SmartSTEMs on the partnership. https://t.co/RaEKFQxCCb
— Digital Xtra (@DigitalXtraFund) March 6, 2017
The results show that EDF energy and SSE have won the title of Happiest Customers with a higher Adorescore and high levels of joy and trust. Npower and Scottish power customers repeatedly mention the poor treatment that they receive from an unhelpful complaints team and long wait times negatively impacting the brand’s overall image. If customer service is done well, it can elicit positive emotions, including trust and joy, which leads to improved customer experience.
Here at Adoreboard our emotion analytics tool Emotics provides a pathway to measure emotional intensity around experiences, understand the main themes driving emotional intensity and make informed decisions to actively improve customer experience and loyalty.
To find out how our software can help you or to book free demo, click here.
