AmazonScience/document-haystack

1Customer performance  2APA’s annual commercial customer feedback survey was 3completed in November 2022. It involved a quantitative 4survey administered by an independent external agency. 5The key deliverable from the survey is APA’s Customer 6Experience Score (CES), an average performance score 7across attributes such as trust, responsiveness, value, 8ease, rapport and innovation. 9Our CES was 6.7 out of 10, representing an improvement 10from our 2021 score of 6.3. The result was driven by 11improvements in customer relationships with our key 12commercial counterparts. This reflected the success of 13our 2022 action plan which focused on re-invigorating 14relationships, re-establishing APA’s industry leadership 15and re-prioritising face-to-face meetings after COVID. 16The survey also highlighted the opportunity to better 17engage senior representatives within our customer groups 18and work harder with specific accounts. This means 19prioritising key attributes such as ease of doing business 20and innovation, whilst also delivering on commitments, 21and continuing to work on improved communications 22and understanding of customers’ concerns. The survey 23informed our updated 2023 action plan which has now 24been in implementation for six months.25Customer experience  26In addition to our annual survey, we regularly monitor  27and manage the customer experience through:28• Dedicated account managers assigned to all 29commercial customers30• A quarterly customer experience dashboard focused 31on practical elements contributing to customers’ 32experience of APA33• Key account management with a monthly review 34meeting to monitor customer feedback, service 35delivery and performance across APA’s key customers. 36We also maintain a commercial customer complaints 37process with four complaints received during FY23 – this 38compares with 10 complaints in FY22, so a significantly 39better performance. The complaints related to land 40access, metering, processes around rejection of non-firm 41nominations, and the scope of protection works. We are 42also working to understand how we can better monitor 43and respond to customer impacts related to power 44outages as we grow our portfolio of electricity assets.45As well as working to resolve each complaint, we 46conducted ‘lessons learnt’ reviews to ensure any 47underlying issues driving the complaint do not recur. 48Communications and industry leadership 49In response to customer feedback, we worked to keep 50customers better informed about the availability of our 51assets and services through peak winter and summer 52periods. We also acted to make sure they understand the 53impact of key regulatory changes. This included:54• A Customer Forum on east coast gas asset winter 55readiness and the new AEMO gas system reliability and 56supply adequacy powers57• Approaching winter, regular communications on 58contracted capacities of key APA east coast assets 59for north-south gas transport; and on progress on key 60asset upgrades to support winter peak gas transport. 61We also published advice on customer behaviours that 62help manage peak winter loads63Support for vulnerable customers64In keeping with our Energy Charter commitments,  65a monthly ‘Vulnerable Customer’ review meeting is held, 66monitoring commercial customers who may be facing 67hardship or credit issues and identifying opportunities  68for early assistance. 69During the year, two customers were provided with 70assistance to help them deal with the impacts of 71significant flooding, with one entering into a deferred 72payment program and the other provided with a 73temporary extension of payment terms.74SUSTAINABILITYGOVERNANCEAPA INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FINANCIAL REPORTAPA INVESTMENT TRUST FINANCIAL REPORTADDITIONAL INFORMATION754776OPERATING & FINANCIAL REVIEW