Customer Service in the Utilities Space: Opportunities for Growth and Improvement

Effective Communications and the Utilities Space

As Contact Center professionals in the utilities industry, your job is straightforward: provide high quality and effective communications with your customers regarding billing, outages, and their other needs.
 
Greentech Media recently reported that, in 2016, the average utility customer spent about eight minutes annually interacting with their utility companies through digital channels and about 11 minutes on the phone with an agent. Greentech goes on to report that, more commonly than ever, 76% of customers said they are willing to walk away from their current utility provider for lower pricing or better options. Clearly, there is a disconnect between customers’ satisfaction with their utility providers and the amount of time they spend communicating with them on an annual basis.
 

The Use of CRM in the Utilities Space

Customers have a short list of needs from their utility companies. At the most basic level, they want easy access to Customer Service. They want accurate and timely billing information, quick resolution when issues arise, accurate and clear communication regarding service interruptions, and easily accessible information regarding cost-saving options and energy conservation.
 
Utility companies are recognizing the importance of maximizing the brief, yet crucial, interactions they have with their customers. Many are turning to CRM software as a means to improve these interactions. This results in an overhaul of Customer Service departments that are now leaning on IT professionals more than ever to improve the overall customer experience.
 

In the utilities industry, the purpose of your CRM is therefore:

Maximizing Your Existing CRM

Your agents are required to take confidential information from customers almost every time they take a call. Whether they are collecting Social Security Numbers, addresses, or payment information, your organization is thereby vulnerable to breach and fraud by giving hackers the opportunity to steal information from your agents or even giving agents the chance to mishandle or steal information.
 

KomBea Solutions

KomBea offers two solutions (SecureCall and ExactCall) that enable contact centers to become very secure and fully compliant, while still using their existing CRM and phone systems.
 
SecureCall enables your customers to share their identification or payment information by entering it on their phone keypad or through an SMS interface. Your agents remain on the line, but never hear or see sensitive information.
 
ExactCall enables agents to deliver legal disclosures, order summaries, or other required information using pre-recorded audio or an SMS interface. Information is delivered consistently and correctly every time, without the risk of human error.
To find out more about KomBea’s utilities communication solutions, call or complete our online form.
 
Contact Us Today