From a very young age, Abbey Swift’s path was clear, to look out for others every step of the way. 

Caring for people is in Abbey’s DNA. At the age of eight, she was so concerned that residents in the local care home didn’t have any visitors, so she took it upon herself to volunteer there most days before school.

And that was just the beginning. When she was 10 years old, she became a youth cadet for Hato Hone St John in Wanaka, learning first aid and emergency training. Fast forward 15 years, and Abbey is now  Assistant Divisional Manager for the Green Island St John youth division, and she also educates community groups and businesses on how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). 

But that’s just in her spare time! By day, Abbey is a Customer Service Representative (CSR) for Contact Energy (Contact), based in Dunedin. 

Abbey initially wanted to take what she’d learned as a Hato Hone St John volunteer to the next level and become a nurse. But working part-time, studying, and caring for her daughter was hard to juggle, so she looked for another way she could help people as a career. She became a CSR two years ago supporting our electricity and broadband customers. 

“I pride myself on caring for people, and it definitely comes through in my role at Contact,” says Abbey. “I love talking to customers. Most of the time a customer calls, it’s because they have a problem. I get a real sense of satisfaction when, by the end of the call, I have been able to provide them with a solution.” 

Abbey says the skills she’s developed volunteering for  Hato Hone St John are really useful in her role at Contact, such as communication, empathy and flexibility.

“While customers ring about transactional issues, like changing their billing payment method,  there is a real human element to the call. For instance, for some customers English is not their first language, or some struggle to use technology. 

“So, while on the surface it may simply be about providing an answer, it’s also about taking into consideration each customer’s unique circumstances and tailoring support to their individual needs, making sure they understand everything correctly and they have got what they need.”

Things have come full circle for Abbey, as there are times when customers, particularly elderly ones, call Contact Energy’s contact centre because they have no one else to talk to.

“It’s really heartbreaking when this happens,” says Abbey. “Fortunately, Hato Hone St John offers a Caring Caller free service where people can just call up to have a yarn, so I encourage these customers to give them a buzz.”

Abbey has provided CPR and AED first aid training to some of the Contact team in the Dunedin office and she’s looking to play a supporting role in rolling out a wider first aid training  programme across the business.  

“It would be incredible for everyone at Contact to be confident in providing lifesaving first aid by learning how to provide CPR and attach an AED when someone is suffering from a cardiac arrest. Every year, over 2,000 people in Aotearoa will have a cardiac arrest outside hospital care, and only one person in 10 survives,” says Abbey.

Hato Hone St John’s annual appeal takes place throughout June. This year’s theme is Light the Way, and if you’d like to support the appeal, just head to their Light the Way website.

Contact is one of New Zealand’s largest energy generators and retailers.  Contact is committed to supporting New Zealand’s economy, with all its operations being based within the country including two dedicated contact centres in Levin and Dunedin, which employ around 300 people in total.  

Request a caring caller: If you or someone you love would like to have a Caring Caller friendship or if you have any questions, email us, fill out our online request form or call us on 0800 4 CALLER (0800 422 5537).

ENDS

Media enquiries

Lotty Hird, Senior Communications Advisor
M: 027 207 8684
E: lotty.hird@contactenergy.co.nz

About Contact

Contact Energy is one of New Zealand’s largest energy generators and retailers. We have more than 600,000 customer connections with electricity, gas, broadband and mobile plans. We are committed to leading the decarbonisation of New Zealand, and it is our vision to create and contribute to a better place to live; from the homes and communities we live in, to the land and resources that future generations can enjoy.

We are a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Asia-Pacific(DJSI Asia-Pacific), which is a global benchmark for corporate sustainability, and winners of Sustainability Leadership Award at the 2023 Deloitte Top 200 Awards.

Website: contact.co.nz  More information can be found in Contact’s 2023 Integrated Report