Calor Gas Transforms Customer Experience and Slashes Wait Times with Vonage
Calor Gas, the UK's leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has served rural Britain for over 90 years. However, the company faced a critical challenge during a particularly harsh winter. A combination of internal logistical hurdles and intense seasonal demand created a "perfect storm," overwhelming their contact center. By leveraging Vonage Contact Center (VCC), Calor Gas streamlined its operations, introduced new channels, and restored customer trust by making themselves accessible when it mattered most.
Vonage Solutions and Features
Challenge
Calor Gas has overcome severe seasonal bottlenecks and operational strain caused by weather-dependent demand and logistical issues, which led to excessive wait times, high call abandonment rates and decreased staff morale and retention
Solution
Vonage Contact Center
Results
Dramatic reduction in wait times from over 16 minutes to 38 seconds; abandonment rates dropped from 45% to 3%; improved agent morale and retention through streamlined operations and AI automation with Vonage VoiceBOTWeathering the Storm: Overcoming Operational Strain
For homes and businesses off the main gas grid, Calor Gas is an essential service provider. During peak winter months, demand naturally spikes, but logistical difficulties in delivery scheduling exacerbated the situation. Customers, anxious about their fuel supply during freezing weather, flooded the phone lines to track deliveries.
“Our system at the time was not originally designed for this type of pressure,” said Chris Vaughan, Telephony Service Owner of Calor Gas. “Our customers were unable to get through via phone, so they resorted to emailing and chasing deliveries through multiple channels, which just compounded the incoming volume. Additionally, agents were left fighting fires, dealing with frustrated customers after long wait times, which negatively impacted staff morale and retention.”
Streamlining Service with AI and Multi-Channel Support
Calor Gas worked closely with Vonage to implement a multi-faceted strategy designed to alleviate pressure on live agents and offer customers more convenient ways to communicate.
To address the immediate issue of hold times, a callback option was introduced, allowing customers to reserve their place in the queue without staying on the line. Simultaneously, Vonage helped Calor Gas redefine its call routing plans, eliminating inefficient "buddy sites" and ensuring calls were routed to skilled agents more effectively.
Vaughan said, “Innovation played a key role in the turnaround. To handle routine bulk gas orders, we deployed a Vonage VoiceBOT. This AI-driven solution now automates approximately 38% of Bulk Gas Orders, freeing up our agents for complex queries. We also launched WhatsApp as a support channel. The implementation was swift, taking just six weeks to deploy both the VoiceBOT and WhatsApp before the winter peak—and adoption was immediate, with hundreds of interactions occurring weekly right from launch.”
A Partnership Built on Trust and Innovation
Beyond the technology, the relationship between Calor Gas and the Vonage customer success team was pivotal. Unlike experiences with other large providers where Calor Gas felt undervalued, the Vonage team provided proactive, hands-on support.
“The difference with Vonage is we received more of a personal touch. They really look after their customers,” continued Vaughan. “ This close collaboration included weekly touchpoints and strategic planning sessions, making sure that the solutions implemented were not just technical fixes, but genuine business improvements tailored to our specific needs. It just makes life so much easier when you’ve got a good team.”
Results that Speak Volumes
The transformation in performance metrics has been stark. By optimizing their contact center with Vonage, Calor Gas has turned a crisis into a success story of efficiency and customer satisfaction.
“Before implementing Vonage Contact Center, , our average call wait time was 16 minutes 43 seconds. One year later, we got that down to 38 seconds,” Vaughan noted.
The tangible impact of the Vonage implementation includes:
Wait Times Significantly Reduced: Average wait times plummeted from over 16 minutes to just 38 seconds year-over-year.
Abandonment Rate Dropped: Call abandonment fell from a high of 45% to just 3%.
Rapid Response: Average time to answer is now consistently around 33 seconds.
Secure Transactions: The system securely processes approximately 3,000 agent-assisted payments monthly via PCI Pal integration.
By stabilizing their operations and introducing intelligent automation, Calor Gas has improved the customer journey and created a better working environment for their team, proving that the right technology partner is essential for navigating peak demand.
Learn more about how Vonage Contact Center can significantly enhance your customer experience and elevate agent productivity.
