In the face of unprecedented challenges brought on by the war in Ukraine, YASNO, a leading energy supplier operating in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions, has demonstrated remarkable resilience. As the conflict continues to impact infrastructure, customer behavior, and business operations, YASNO has implemented innovative strategies to ensure a reliable energy supply and maintain customer trust. In this interview, we speak with CEO of YASNO, Serhii Kovalenko, who sheds light on how the company has navigated the complexities of war, adapted its communication, and positioned itself to support Ukraine’s long-term recovery and sustainability goals.

The Social Digest: Yasno operates in a highly challenging environment due to the ongoing conflict. How has the war impacted your business operations, particularly in the regions you serve?

YASNO is a brand supply companies of which operate in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. Hostilities was or is unfold in all regions. Therefore, the full-scale invasion affected the business directly. YASNO, as a supplier, does not own the infrastructure. We make invoices and do bills with clients. Therefore, our problems are related to the population and migration.

In the first months of the war, it was unclear how the power system would function. Likewise, we did not know how many Ukrainians would remain in their places, whether they would pay for electricity, and if so, in which way. As a result, in the first month of the war in Kyiv, the indicator of payments decreased by 20%. The regularity of payments also declined – if earlier half of the capital’s residents paid their bills without significant delays, then with the beginning of the war, only 30% of residents did so.

Regularity and completeness of payments were and remain the main challenges for us. After all, the cost of the tariff includes funds for the operators of the distribution and transmission system, generation, etc. The worse people pay, the less resources the infrastructure has for recovery.

The Social Digest: What are some of the key strategies Yasno has implemented to maintain energy supply and customer service during the war?

The main and most important strategic step we were lucky enough to take before the war: we moved all our servers and data to the cloud. This is how we made sure that the data of our customers will be intact, and we will be able to work with them under almost any conditions.

The second important thing is that within six months after the start of full-scale military operations, we began to introduce a new tone of voice for the brand. Thus we consider the psychological state of clients, and prepare new key messages. We also put the updated tone of voice in the scripts of the first line (specialists with whom clients have direct contact).

The Social Digest: How has the war influenced your approach to energy efficiency and sustainability, especially considering the damaged infrastructure in certain areas?

The full-scale invasion became a catalyst for understanding the need to implement the principles of sustainable development. YASNO is a young brand that started its work almost in the COVID-19 pandemic, and now in the war, so we must optimize and make business processes as efficient as possible. This will be linked to sustainable development.

The Social Digest: What challenges have you faced in maintaining brand trust and loyalty during this time of crisis, and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge that we “rewarded” ourselves with was communication with customers on behalf of the entire energy system. Practically from the first days of shelling of the energy system, we chose the path of the most honest and open communication: we told Ukrainians what was happening, how russia’s attacks affect the infrastructure and what it could lead to. We are trying to do the same now.

This approach has borne fruit: YASNO’s NPS among residential customers has grown. NPS is an index that shows user loyalty. Therefore, we see the willingness of customers to recommend YASNO as an indicator of trust, which is also growing.

The Social Digest: What leadership qualities have been most crucial for you during these challenging times, and how have they shaped your approach to brand management?

The key now is to stay focused. After all, when you know where you are going, decisions are made quickly, and there is no time to waver. Thanks to this mindset, processes and management have become very flexible. Now we are doing things that we might not have dared to do before.

In our picture of the world, the most valuable are our clients and our team. We care about people, that’s the most important thing.

The Social Digest: Can you share an example of how Yasno has supported its employees and customers during the conflict? (Can avoid this answer if you want)

Talking about the team. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have offered to change the place of residence of the workers and their families, we have taken care of their security. We have also organized workplaces for contact center employees in a shelter, so that our customers have constant access to information.

The Social Digest: Looking ahead, as a crucial organisation for rebuilding, how do you see Yasno continuing to support Ukraine’s recovery and rebuilding efforts?

Actually, this question doesn’t refer to YASNO well, it is mostly about grids and we are a supplier.

The Social Digest: What are your long-term goals for Yasno’s brand, particularly in a post-conflict Ukraine?

Since 2019, the electricity market in Ukraine has been operating in a somewhat hybrid format: business customers can freely choose and change their electricity supplier, while households use the services of a supplier appointed by the Government.

We decided for ourselves that we work as if the market is already free for all categories of customers. Therefore, our goal for the time when the market is really opened is to be the first choice of Ukrainians among companies that supply electricity.

This interview was conduted by The Social Digest on 09/09/2024. If you have any interview recommendations or have a story that you want to share with our readers, write us at editor@thesocialdigest.com