Ahead of discussions around working towards a ‘just’ transition and best-in-class customer service at Utility Week Live, Utility Week Innovate explores some of the digital projects helping firms respond to the ‘dynamic’ nature of vulnerability.
Published 3 May 2022
CUSTOMER VULNERABILITY 'NOT A FIXED STATE': FIVE AI, DATA AND DIGITAL INNOVATIONS DRIVEN BY COST OF LIVING CRISIS
Customer vulnerability ‘not a fixed state’: five AI, data and digital innovations driven by the Cost of Living crisis
With almost a quarter of Brits finding it difficult or very difficult to pay household bills in March according to the Office for National Statistics – a 17% increase since November – and 87% seeing an increase in their cost of living over the same period, the key to ensuring vulnerable customers don’t fall by the wayside is appreciating that vulnerability is not a “fixed state”, according to Mike Hull, principal consultant and water data specialist at AI firm Aiimi.
“It is something that customers move in and out of depending on their circumstances,” he tells Utility Week Innovate, adding that harnessing data effectively and innovating accordingly can help firms establish which customers are vulnerable at a given time and offer appropriate support. “Utilities organisations must seek to innovate customer service solutions to respond to the dynamic nature of vulnerability,” he says.
