UW Authorised Partners will soon be able to sign up customers both remotely and in person.
Now the government has announced its roadmap to ease lockdown measures, many people are looking forward to returning to and enjoying their old lifestyles. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be heading back to offices and places of work, hitting the shops, and meeting friends and family in cafes, bars, and restaurants. However, life has changed so much over the past year that the ease out of lockdown might not mean life returns to ‘normal’ for everyone, especially when it comes to our working lives. While the pandemic has presented obstacles for businesses to overcome, it has also presented opportunities for businesses to change the way they operate. And some of these changes will stick.
For example, Utility Warehouse’s (UW) Partners have completely changed the way they work over the past 12 months. Until the pandemic reared its ugly head, these independent distributors would often sign up new UW customers in face-to-face meetings, often over coffees in friends’ homes or at casual events like school fetes. But government restrictions put a sudden stop to this.
UW’s remote solutions
As the UK moved into lockdown, UW worked quickly to develop new and improved remote solutions. The FTSE 250 company supplied over 1,000 staff with laptops, equipment, and new infrastructure so they could work from home. UW then developed a remote appointment tool so its network of over 45,000 Partners could walk prospective customers through the online sign-up process in real-time. UW even launched its annual Express Day in a virtual showing, which Partners streamed to their living rooms to celebrate the company’s success under lockdown.
UW Partners took to the remote tools brilliantly. As a result, both Partners and UW were able to grow their businesses throughout lockdown. And many new Partners have joined the network over recent months. These Partners are making the most of the opportunity to earn extra cash during such an uncertain time. Some are even helping others in similar situations by helping them become Partners, too.
Having seen such a high level of take-up during lockdown, UW won’t be scrapping its remote offerings as the government rolls back COVID-19 measures. Instead, the company will offer the best of both worlds, allowing customers to connect with Partners both face-to-face and remotely.
Why remote offerings are important in post-COVID life
Physical meetings often take much longer than virtual meetings, especially when those involved need to account for travel time. Therefore, people who are short on time often find it much handier to book a half-hour virtual appointment with a UW Partner. The new, remote sign-up tool makes this part of the process much simpler, so UW will continue to offer this after the UK lockdown.
“This isn’t a 360-degree step change for us,” says UW Group Leader Alex Roberts, who manages her own team of Partners. “We’ve been doing remote meetings for years. We have to connect with teams all over the UK, so it’s crucial to stay in touch. It’s sad that we’ve lost face-to-face appointments for the moment, but it’s not like we’re suddenly changing everything.”
UW’s return to ‘normal’
Now the UK is on a roadmap out of lockdown, Partners are also gearing up to harness traditional ways of building business. We’ll soon see UW purple MINIs whizzing up and down the UK as teams of Partners go about their business. You’ll also see UW Partners with their stands and stalls in stores and at events. Now is a pivotal time for UW Partners – plenty of people are tackling uncertainty around their household income, and Partners can help new customers reduce their utility bills.
Neighbour letters
What’s more, Partners can now post neighbour letters to their locals again. These letters display UW services and make it easy for Partners to let their neighbours know how they can help. As we begin to meet others in person again, UW has designed two new recruitment letters that Partners can use to introduce new customers to the multiservice provider. Where relevant, Partners can also post letters that let locals know Full Fibre (FttP) broadband is now available in their area. Partners can deliver these letters and follow up on the doorstep as they please, providing they stick to COVID-19 safety measures.
New prize draw
Before lockdown, some Partners entered new customers into a prize draw to win a MINI. However, UW has decided a more flexible prize might be a better incentive given the current climate. As a result, the company has instead launched a £20,000 giveaway, which is already generating interest amongst prospective customers. This would be a life-changing prize to win after the financial challenges so many have tackled at the hands of coronavirus. UW has included details on its neighbour letters, which Partners will soon distribute. But it won’t only be the prize-winning entrant who benefits – the UW Partner who submits the winning entry will also win a cash prize.
Partner freedom
As the world returns to normal, UW Partners are looking forward to regaining access to the resources that help them grow their businesses. Thanks to UW’s work under lockdown, they now have even more strategies at their disposal and can choose to run their businesses how they like. UW isn’t telling Partners they must return to the old way of doing things. Instead, Partners can choose whether they prefer to stick to the digital route, re-embrace in-person approaches, or mix the two.
Learn more about becoming a UW Partner.
About Utility Warehouse
UW believes customers shouldn’t have to spend excessive time and money on their utilities. That’s why the multi-award-winning company packages each customer’s required home services into a great value, monthly deal. This way, customers only have one bill to pay and one company’s contact details to save in their address books. Whatever blend of energy, broadband, landline, mobile, home insurance, and boiler-care services they need, UW can combine these utilities into one, tailored package. And the more services customers take out, the more money they save. As a result, more than 650,000 customers have signed up for UW’s multiservice bundles.
