Customer service

Smart Transition

Embracing a competitive and digital future for utilities.

A recent Accenture survey shows utility executives believe smart grid capabilities will transform the industry and bring competitive opportunities.

Big Data, Big Change

Analytics chart a path for industry transformation.

“Without integrating operational data with traditional IT data, I don’t think the industry would be any further along than it was five or 10 years ago.” ~Steve Ehrlich, Space Time Insight

Connecting Before the Storm

Effective crisis communications requires laying groundwork long before the damage happens. Successful engagement calls for consistent, positive messaging when the lights are on.
Effective crisis communications requires laying groundwork long before the damage happens. Successful engagement calls for consistent, positive messaging when the lights are on.

The Social Utility

Mastering multi-channel communications for customer service success.

Utilities across the country are experimenting with various new ways to communicate with customers—from Twitter feeds to text alerts. But few utilities have figured out how to integrate new media channels into a coherent customer engagement approach. A multi-tiered strategy will best serve the needs of customers—and the utility.

A Virtuous Cycle

How customer satisfaction drives returns on equity for regulated electric utilities.

Data and experience show that serving customers well translates into better rate case outcomes. Conversely, poor performance starts a downward slide. J.D. Power and Associates research shows the correlation between customer service and financial returns.

Learning from Retailers

Success in retail energy markets requires providing customers with the best choices and the best service. Utilities can learn valuable lessons from the experiences of competitive electricity retailers.
Success in retail energy markets requires providing customers with the best choices and the best service. Utilities can learn valuable lessons from the experiences of competitive electricity retailers.

Maximizing Customer Benefits

Performance measurement and action steps for smart grid investments.

Regulators and customers are holding utilities’ feet to the fire, when it comes to investing in advanced metering and smart grid systems—and rightly so. Making the most of investments requires a systematic approach to establishing standards and monitoring performance. But it also requires policy frameworks and cost recovery regimes that provide the right incentives.

Call Center Quality Assurance

Employees will account for up to 80 percent of contact center budgets in the increasingly demanding world of customer interaction. Such a substantial investment cannot be left to chance, yet, it is often overlooked and rarely reviewed by managers.
"Beyond lowering operating costs, workforce optimization solutions allow for quick decision making, which helps resolve customer issues.”

Like many other industries in which employee performance is crucial to the customer experience, the utility industry provides an essential commodity to the public. As they are often under intense scrutiny, utility companies must also take steps to minimize their exposure to liability issues.

Spaced Out

Geospatial applications are laying the groundwork for the next round of infrastructure development and customer interaction.

As utilities grapple with aging infrastructure and outage management, they are evaluating their GIS and considering the best way to keep up with the shifting demands of the electric-power industry.