Summary
Firmus energy is one of Northern Ireland’s leading natural gas suppliers, serving customers across the region through a dedicated customer service team. With more than 100 employees and a growing demand for flexible working, the company needed a communications platform that would support both hybrid working and exceptional customer service.
Having worked with Barclay Communications since 2019, firmus energy expanded the partnership to implement Northern Ireland’s first Gamma Horizon Cloud Contact Centre, creating a more flexible and connected customer experience across multiple communication channels.
The Challenge
As customer expectations evolved and hybrid working became the norm, firmus energy recognised the need to modernise its customer communications infrastructure.
The company wanted a solution that would allow customer service agents to work effectively from any location while maintaining the same high standards customers expected when contacting the business.
Key requirements included:
- Supporting hybrid and remote working
- Improving the customer contact experience
- Enabling communication across multiple channels
- Providing real-time visibility of team performance
- Maintaining service quality and operational efficiency
The customer service team plays a critical role in handling both inbound and outbound customer enquiries, making it essential that employees had access to the same capabilities whether working from home or from the office.
As Niall Martindale, Interim Managing Director at firmus energy, explained:
“We wanted a telephone solution that would enable our team to work effectively from home whilst making sure quality standards remained as high as ever.”
The Barclay Solution
Barclay Communications recommended and implemented the Gamma Horizon Cloud Contact Centre, a cloud-based customer engagement platform that integrates seamlessly with Horizon’s wider communications infrastructure.
The new solution enables agents to manage customer interactions through a web browser and allows supervisors to monitor activity, call queues and key performance indicators in real time.
In addition to traditional voice communications, the platform provides a true omnichannel experience by supporting:
- Voice calls
- Email enquiries
- Web chat
- Multiple customer communication channels through a single platform
Because the solution is cloud-based, employees can access the system from virtually anywhere and on any compatible device, giving the business greater flexibility and resilience.
To ensure a smooth deployment, Barclay Communications assigned a dedicated project management team and engineers to oversee the rollout.
The project took approximately 10 weeks to complete, during which the system was extensively planned, configured and tested before going live. This pre-build and trial phase ensured minimal disruption and a seamless transition for the firmus energy team.
Speaking about the implementation, Britt Megahey, Managing Director of Barclay Communications, said:
“Our teams are really passionate about customer experience. We assigned a Project Management team who operated on-site to support the rollout alongside a team of engineers. Prior to install, the system was discussed extensively and pre-built in a trial phase which ensured a really smooth transition.”
Business Outcomes
The implementation of the Horizon Cloud Contact Centre has transformed how firmus energy engages with customers and supports its workforce.
The business now benefits from a modern communications platform that allows customer service agents to work productively regardless of location while delivering a consistent experience for customers.
Key benefits include:
- Greater flexibility for hybrid and remote working
- Improved customer engagement across multiple channels
- Real-time performance monitoring and reporting
- Simplified management of customer interactions
- Enhanced customer experience through omnichannel communications
- Increased operational resilience and scalability
The solution has positioned firmus energy at the forefront of customer service innovation in Northern Ireland while supporting its long-term commitment to delivering excellent customer experiences.
Customer Testimonial
“As we now live in a hybrid working environment, this new system gives us flexibility and ensures we continue to offer a premium service to our valued and prospective customers.
The Barclay Communications team has been fantastic to deal with, showing real expertise from start to finish. We are very pleased to be partnered with a provider that not only offers a robust and reliable solution, but exceptional customer service.”
Niall Martindale
Interim Managing Director, firmus energy