Customer listening: the key to growth

Plenitude has successfully transformed the customer experience into a driver of development, benefiting both customers and the business. Here’s how.

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In today’s increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving energy market, the real challenge is not just providing energy services but also building a valuable relationship with the customer. In this context, Plenitude has embarked on a transformation journey that places the customer, their needs, and their purchasing experience at the centre. This significant shift does not merely improve service quality but aims to create a strong and lasting bond based on trust and the ability to anticipate needs. It is an effective approach, further validated by several prestigious recognitions.

This was the case at the International Customer Experience Awards (ICX Awards) 2024, a competition featuring over 100 companies from around the world, not limited to the energy sector. With the support of an independent and authoritative jury, Plenitude secured three podium finishes: two first-place awards in the categories "Best Customer Experience Measurement" and "Best Use of Customer Insights & Feedback", recognizing its outstanding use of the "voice" of the customer. The third award was for the "Best Customer-Centric Culture" category, further confirming the effectiveness of its innovative and high-impact initiatives.

The results of a customer-centric strategy

Adopting a customer-centric strategy means placing the customer at the core of every decision, listening to their needs, and anticipating their expectations. This approach translates into concrete actions and tangible results. Over the past few years, the Net Promoter Score (NPS)¹- a metric used to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction - has increased by 2.94 times compared to 2018², demonstrating a significant improvement in brand perception as reliable and recommendable, with 82.5% of customers satisfied³.

At the same time, operating costs have been reduced by 20%, and complaints have decreased by 62%. First-contact problem resolution has improved by 20%, while operator satisfaction has increased by 70%. These figures - referring to the Italian market - highlight how this approach serves as a strategic lever for business success.

Data and Artificial Intelligence for a more effective service

Plenitude’s journey to optimize the customer experience has involved multiple phases and several aspects of the organization. A fundamental step was the implementation of a solid Customer Feedback Program in collaboration with Medallia, a leader in customer experience solutions. This program has enabled the systematic collection of the "voice of the customer", analysing feedback received across all touchpoints and throughout every stage of the customer journey. The collected data was then integrated into the company’s platform.

This integration has allowed for a more holistic vision and a deeper understanding of customer needs. The adoption of an Agile framework - a methodology based on flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iterative development cycles-and the redefinition of the customer service business model have further strengthened the customer-centric approach. Plenitude has also introduced the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence to fully harness the value of customer textual feedback and extract useful insights efficiently.

Plenitude’s experience demonstrates that an integrated approach and smart use of data are key factors for growth and competitiveness. Listening to and understanding each user’s needs generates a virtuous cycle, with tangible benefits for both the company and its customers. This approach can serve as a solid model for building long-lasting and valuable customer relationships.

[1] Net Promoter Score (NPS), an indicator that measures the likelihood of a customer recommending Plenitude to a friend or colleague, is useful for assessing customer satisfaction with the company.
[2] Source: Plenitude Sustainability Report 2023.
[3] The score is calculated based on the percentage of respondents who rated between 7 and 10 on the following question: "Overall, how satisfied are you with Plenitude? Please rate on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means not satisfied at all and 10 means completely satisfied.