Energetica India Magazine May-June 2021

ELECTRIC VEHICLES 29 energetica INDIA- May-June_2021 application is an important tool which in- teracts with the car, the charger and cus - tomer’s handheld device. The platform has to be feature-rich, scalable, flexible, future proof, has to support multiple tar - iffing options, support for different seg - ments of customers, loyalty programs and multiple payment options. Globally, the payment at the chargers is enabled through RFID cards or Credit cards, but in India clearly customers are far more comfortable with their handheld devic- es for making transactions. Hence it is important that all payment methods are enabled – credit cards, debit cards, net banking, UPI and so on. All of this with a friendly and intuitive UI. Communicate – Educate – Propagate EVs and EV charging in India is currently at a nascent stage. While the EV mak - ers are doing their bit to popularize the cars, socializing and educating about the EV ecosystem can be collaboratively done by the charge point operator. Ed- ucate the customer about the basics of charging, tell her about slow chargers and fast chargers and the importance of home or workplace charging. Break the century old ‘ICE mindset’ that makes her believe that refueling has to be done in 5 minutes. Tell her about the bene- fits of ‘anywhere anytime charging’ that comes with EVs while the car is parked. Bring home the advantages of a ‘Home Charger’ – your personal refueling point. Propagate the fact that there are ‘xxx’ chargers in her town or city. Assuage her doubts about the ‘range anxiety’. This will help in giving confidence to the customer and encourage her to consider buying an EV, which eventually benefits the eco-system. Delivering stellar customer service re- quires that the frontline is well informed, knowledgeable, empathetic and sup - portive. In the relatively unfamiliar do- main of EVs and EV charging, a custom - er would generously reward anyone who offers a beacon of light. Empower the Front End Empower the agents with systems that provide data, real time information and tools that enable providing specific infor - mation resolution to the customer. The last thing a peeved customer wants to be told is to complain ‘elsewhere’ or to be directed to the other elements in the ‘orchestra’. Take it upon yourself to resolve them and wherever possible, empower those touch-points to offer a spot resolution. Customer experience is almost always a ‘deal-making’ differentiator in any prod- uct or service category. It requires ap- posite temperament and a modicum of compassion to make it work. And when- ever that happens, unequivocal trust, loyalty and brand preference is sure to follow.