06 AUG 2026

Meet Melanie: turning lived experience into meaningful support

For Melanie, supporting customers through difficult times is more than a job. It's something she understands deeply. 

As a Customer Wellbeing Team Member, Melanie works alongside customers facing financial pressure, helping them stay connected to electricity while finding practical pathways forward. What makes her approach so powerful is that she has walked a similar path herself.

A journey shaped by resilience 

Melanie describes her childhood as one marked by hardship and poverty. Growing up, she often felt there had to be something more for her future, even when her circumstances suggested otherwise. 

"I grew up hard. I didn't grow up softly. But I always had this overwhelming feeling that I could be better than this." 

As a young mother, Melanie experienced significant financial hardship. At one point, she was working three jobs while raising her daughter, doing everything she could to create a better life. Along the way, she learned an important lesson: lasting change rarely happens alone. 

Support from counsellors, budget advisors, Work and Income, employers and people who believed in her helped build the confidence and capability she needed to move forward. 

"The biggest lesson I learned was that while I may be strong and capable, I wouldn't be where I am today without the support of others."
 

Coming full circle 

One of the most remarkable parts of Melanie's story is that many years ago she had her own outstanding power bill with Contact Energy. At the time, it felt like another barrier standing between her and the future she wanted. 

Today, she works for the very company she once owed money to. 

When she applied for a role at Contact, Melanie chose to be completely open about her past experiences. 

"I wanted to be transparent from the start because this was a dream job for me." 

That honesty, combined with her determination to learn and grow, helped her secure a role with Contact before eventually joining the Customer Wellbeing team.
 

What customer wellbeing means to Melanie 

For Melanie, customer wellbeing is about helping people see possibilities when all they can see are problems. 

Many customers come to Contact feeling overwhelmed by financial pressure, unexpected life events or mounting debt. Melanie's role is to listen, understand what is happening and connect people with practical support, whether that's payment plans, community services or financial mentoring programmes. 

"It's about helping customers feel supported in their situation and giving them those stepping stones forward." 

Because Melanie has experienced hardship herself, she understands how important it is to be treated with dignity and empathy. She believes support works best when it combines compassion with practical solutions. 

"We can offer so much, but customers also need the tools and confidence to take those next steps themselves."
 

The reward of making a difference 

Ask Melanie what she loves most about her role and the answer comes easily. 

"It's my dream job. I work in a corporate environment and I help others." 

Some of her most rewarding moments come at the end of a conversation when a customer who started the call feeling worried or uncertain leaves with a plan, practical support and renewed confidence. 

For Melanie, success isn't just about resolving an account issue. It's about helping someone take the next step towards a better outcome for themselves and their whānau. 

"When customers finish a conversation knowing they have support and a path forward, that's the most rewarding part."
 

Why this work matters 

Today, Melanie says she has achieved many of the things she once dreamed about: a career she loves, a home, a strong support network and the opportunity to give back. But she never forgets the people who helped her get there. 

"Counsellors, budget advisors, Work and Income, employers, mentors. All of those people around me helped me achieve this." 

That experience shapes the way she approaches every customer conversation. She knows that sometimes a payment arrangement, a referral to support services or simply having someone listen can be the first step towards meaningful change. 

For Melanie, every customer conversation is an opportunity to do for someone else what others once did for her: provide support, remove barriers and help them believe that a better future is possible. 

"We offer those tools today, and that's why this work matters."