Power to the people…who’s who at Next Business Energy.
Renee McKeown
What do you love most about working at Next Business Energy?
The thing I love most about working at Next Business Energy is definitely the staff culture. Everybody here gets along really well. We started small and now we’re bigger but we get all our work done and have a really good time.
What makes you interested in energy?
That’s actually a really funny question, because I wasn’t originally interested in the industry… I was at a party and a mutual friend of mine came up to me and said, “We’re looking for a customer service person at our electricity startup” and I thought, ‘Why not give it shot and see where it goes…?’ and it lead me here!
How has Next Business Energy evolved during your time here?
When I started at Next Business Energy it was a startup, a team of about 7 people. Since then it has grown to be quite a big company. Recently we just won the 2018 AFR Top 100 Fastest growing companies!
What motivates you?
The thing that motivates me is definitely the people that I work with. We all strive to do our best to make the business what it is today. It’s really easy to be motivated around other people who are also really motivated.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
My favourite part of my job is when we have a customer that calls in and I’m able to use the experience I’ve received from Next Business Energy to provide the best service for them, giving them extra features and offering value-added services.
How do you define exceptional customer service?
I define exceptional customer service by going the extra mile. Customer’s may not be aware that there is something I can offer them that can help them; for example a lot of customers don’t know about our nextconnect portal. Going that extra mile can make all the difference to that customer’s experience.
What are some of the most surprising lessons you’ve learnt in your career?
It’s all really surprising to me. Because I didn’t start in the electricity industry, every new experience is always interesting and exciting.
What do you think the ‘next big thing’ in the energy industry is?
I think the next big thing in the energy industry is definitely renewable energy. I think the Australian market is looking more towards renewables and out of that we will see a lot of creativity and innovation come out.
What advice would you give to someone just starting in the energy industry?
I think if you’re just starting out in the energy industry, the best thing for you is to get in it and give it your all. There’s so much you can learn and you’re never going to know it all, but just listen to what other people have to say and take it all in.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing the Australian energy industry in the next 5 years?
I think the biggest challenge for the Australian energy industry in the next 5 years is definitely prices. As we all know, prices are going up and we are looking at tailoring business solutions to combat that.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice that I’ve ever received is make sure you work hard, but always go home on time. Life’s too short to spend it all day at work and enjoy your time away from work.
If you could have one super power, what would it be?
I think if I could have one super power, it would definitely be teleportation. I don’t know if that’s a traditional super power but I’d love to be able to travel the world in the blink of an eye…and it would also save me a lot of time coming into work!
Check out Renee’s video below.