ZEF FUGAZ

Tally Group: CXO, Head of Digital, VP Product (2019-2023)

My time at Billcap and Tally gave me hands-on experience working with energy start-ups and global utilities who have been trying out new ideas to break the status quo. The key products I’ve played a hand in are used to engage over a million energy consumers across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United States and UAE.

Overview:

As a VP of Digital Product at Tally Group, I was responsible for leading the development and management of a complete digital self-service product suite catered to mass-market customers in the energy sector. This suite comprised various key features, insights, and engagement tools designed to empower customers with seamless account management and personalized experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development and Enhancement:

  • Led the ideation and development of the Tally Online Self-Service (OSS) suite, which included the Self Service Portal, Self Service Mobile App, Chat/Bots, Help Centre/FAQs, Move Home, Retention, Demand Response, Loyalty & Rewards, Revenue Assurance, Usage Graphs, Disaggregation, Payment Options, Plans, and Notifications.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design and implement user-friendly interfaces and functionalities for the Online Self-Service suite, ensuring a seamless user experience.
  • Conducted regular market research and competitor analysis to identify potential areas for improvement and new features to stay ahead in the energy industry.

Customer Insights and Engagement:

  • Utilized machine learning analytics to extract rich data and valuable insights from customer behavior, enabling a whole new energy customer experience.
  • Developed and managed the Insights & Engagement tool within the Online Self-Service suite, allowing customers to explore personalized insights and offers based on granular usage data.
  • Integrated Tally Trust, a churn-reduction solution, with the suite to provide personalized weekly updates between bills, helping prevent bill shock and reducing churn rates by up to 30%.

Upsell Opportunities:

  • Leveraged the wealth of usage data available to create highly personalized offers and recommendations to customers.
  • Collaborated with the Tally Trust team to implement effective email communications with high click-through rates (40%-70%*), encouraging customers to upgrade their appliances, solar, or battery.

    * Solar customers were typically more engaged

Behavioral Demand Response (BDR) Integration:

  • Successfully integrated the award-winning Tally BDR platform into the Online Self-Service suite, enabling customers to reduce their energy load and save costs during peak events.
  • Facilitated the seamless integration of BDR features within the suite, ensuring ease of use and accessibility for customers.

Customer Support and Training:

  • Worked closely with the Customer Support team to ensure proper assistance and support were available through the chat and bot features in the Online Self-Service suite.
  • Conducted training sessions for the support team to effectively handle customer queries and provide personalized guidance.

Achievements:

  • Played a pivotal role in creating and launching the Tally Digital Online Self-Service suite and mobile app, leading to increased customer satisfaction and reduced operational costs for retailers.
  • Contributed to reducing churn rates by a third, as independently verified by independent market research#, and consistently maintaining Net Promoter Scores (NPS) over 50.
  • Enabled upsell opportunities and improved customer engagement through personalized insights and offers, resulting in increased revenue for the company.

    # As reported by the Melbourne University Centre for Market Design

This work experience at Tally Group allowed me to apply my expertise in product management, customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making while contributing to the company’s growth and success in the global competitive energy market.