Providing Technical Support to the EV Charging Network

Our client is Ireland's largest and first-ever private Electronic Vehicle (EV) charging network. With over 2400 chargers currently active on the network, and more than 50,000 users, they are set to continue their rapid expansion within the Irish electric charging sector.

In the early stages of the company’s founding, with increasingly high transactions, the client required a customer support solution that could handle their demanding volumes. With prior experience in the automotive and transport industry, as well as our demonstrable ability to handle high call volumes, Arema Connect was selected to provide the necessary customer service and technical support.

In 2021 we began our collaboration with the company to manage their front-line technical support to customers via calls and emails. With staff trained at high levels of knowledge to handle all queries that may come their way, Arema Connect continues to pave the path of success for the client’s customer’s queries. This collaboration has allowed the client to focus on its core business of providing reliable and convenient EV charging, while Arema Connect provides top-quality technical support ensuring customer satisfaction.

High call volumes for a new and fast-growing technology

With the rising popularity of EVs in Ireland, the client has faced challenges with the volume of queries increasing rapidly, thus prompting them to outsource their customer service and technical support.

With our customer service and technical support, the company was able to address:

• The growing volume of support calls as the EV charger company's customer base expanded: As the push for sustainability gained popularity, more people opted to purchase EVs. However, it quickly became clear that with the adoption of new fueling practices came increased queries from new customers. Based on an average week in May 2024, 74.2% of these calls were troubleshooting queries relating to the clients EV charging network. Arema Connect quickly recognised the importance of being able to resolve these issues as they arose and provide the best possible support to the client’s customers.
• The development of a comprehensive knowledge base: One of the main challenges that the EV charging network faces is the lack of technical knowledge among many consumers, making it difficult for their customer service team to quickly and accurately resolve a wide range of technical issues. This was especially true in the early days of electric vehicle adoption when the concept was still relatively new and unfamiliar to many people. To address this, our client turned to Arema Connect to develop a comprehensive knowledge base, enabling the customer service team to effectively address these queries.
• The ability to ensure 24x7 technical support: As technical issues began to surface, Arema Connect agents were required to quickly gain the knowledge and skills necessary to resolve them. Some customers struggled with starting or ending a charging session, while others needed support that required the charger itself to be restarted. In more complex cases, such as when the charging cables become stuck in the car, our agents require more advanced knowledge to resolve the issue. By outsourcing their customer service support to Arema Connect, the client can provide their customers with the round-the-clock assistance they need, ensuring that any required technical support is always available. 

Supporting customer knowledge gaps

With our expertise in providing a technical support solution, Arema Connect created a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and knowledge base. This involved compiling and analysing data from customer calls to identify common issues and the type of knowledge required to resolve them. The SOP knowledge base was then developed, ensuring that our agents had all the necessary information needed to efficiently and effectively resolve customer queries. This knowledge base is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains relevant and beneficial.

This knowledge base continues to help the client overcome the challenges associated with the growing popularity of EVs and provide its customers with the technical support they need. Through the use of our Shared Services Model, we can provide flexible solutions that enable our client to meet the increasing demand for customer support. By employing our team of highly trained and experienced agents, we quickly and efficiently resolve a wide range of technical issues, from basic charging questions to more complex problems. ‍

Our Team’s expertise and scalability

Our team of experts is not only well-trained but also experienced in handling a wide range of technical queries related to EV charging. They undergo regular training sessions to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and best practices. This ensures that they are equipped to provide a range of technical support services. 

In cases where a query cannot be resolved by the Level 1 Support team, the issue is escalated to the Level 2 Support team. The Level 2 Support team has the necessary knowledge and skills to investigate and resolve even more complex issues. They work closely with the Level 1 Support team to ensure that queries are escalated and resolved in a timely and organised manner. As such, Arema Connect's agents were able to resolve 80.8% of calls on average, with only 19.2% needing to be escalated to the Level 2 Support team.

Furthermore, in the event that a query requires further escalation, the client's procedure ensures that customers receive the necessary assistance in emergencies. Our agents have access to the necessary contact information and can quickly escalate the issue to the relevant on-call person. This ensures that the issue is addressed promptly, and customers can access the technical support necessary for a given query.

Systems used

Our shared services agents are all provided rigorous in-house training, as well as external training from the client on navigating the use of their Customer Relations Management (CRM) system. This system is the main tool for Arema Connect being able to resolve technical support issues. 

The agents have real-time access to the caller's account information, as well as the charging location they are currently using. They can start and end a charging session if the customer is having issues. Additionally, they can also restart the physical chargers and reboot the system remotely. This is all easily facilitated using the client’s CRM system.

Quality Technical Support Services

To ensure that support is provided to the best possible standard, rigorous quality checks are performed daily. These checks involve monitoring and evaluating the performance of the support team, as well as the effectiveness of the SOP system.

The quality checks are carried out by a team of experienced quality assurance analysts who have a deep understanding of the industry and the needs of the client company’s customers. Based on the results of the daily quality checks, weekly and monthly reports are provided to our client. These reports provide a detailed overview of the performance of the support team, as well as insights into the types of issues that customers are experiencing.

By regularly reviewing and analyzing customer interactions, our team of quality assurance analysts can identify trends and patterns in the types of issues customers are experiencing. With this information, they can provide our agents with the necessary knowledge and tools to more effectively resolve these issues. This collaborative approach has helped us shape a highly skilled and knowledgeable support team that can handle even the most complex technical support challenges, and reduce the amount of queries escalated to the Level 2 support team.

A Partnership focused on growth:

Our collaboration with this company has been a key driver of their growth and success in the EV charging industry. Outsourcing their customer support to Arema Connect has allowed the company to focus on other important aspects of their growth strategy, such as expanding their charging network. 

Our expertise in technical queries and commitment to quality has enabled our client to provide their customers with high-quality, round-the-clock support, which has helped to improve the overall customer experience and drive customer loyalty. The development of a comprehensive knowledge base has ensured that our technical support agents have the necessary information to effectively and efficiently resolve customer queries, which has helped us maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.

At Arema Connect, we have also gained valuable insights and knowledge about the EV charging industry, which has helped us enhance our technical support services and solidify our position as a trusted partner in the sector. This ongoing collaboration has allowed us to showcase our expertise and capabilities in providing 24x7 support, a critical requirement in the EV charging industry. 

Conclusion

The successful partnership between Arema Connect and the client, an EV charger company, has empowered the client to overcome the challenges associated with the growing popularity of EVs. Our agents continuously provide the client’s customers with the technical support they need to use and maintain their charging equipment effectively. Our ability to handle calls 24x7 has established us as a leader in the customer support industry, providing exceptional service to their clients and their customers. With the continued growth of the electric vehicle industry, the collaboration between the client company and Arema Connect will only become more vital in ensuring that customers have access to reliable and convenient charging solutions, as well as top-quality support and service.