Despite serving as the brand “voice” for the companies they represent, agent satisfaction isn’t deemed important. Half of call centers do not measure agent satisfaction, leading to low morale and low incentive to deliver a superior customer experience.

But things are changing. Realizing the limitations and challenges of the traditional contact call center model, many leading utilities are turning to technology as a way to not only effectively address their traditional business challenges, but also improve customer service and create positive public perception of the utility.

 

Improved customer service via automated communications:

Aquila Energy

Aquila Inc., a Kansas City-based utility serving nearly one million customers in five states, faces the same challenges many utility companies face: improve revenue recovery, reduce account write-offs and disconnections, and—of course—improve customer satisfaction.

At the same time, Aquila has been getting back to basics, refocusing its efforts on its core business. The utility had previously relied on an outbound contact center of 40 agents based in Michigan to handle all collections efforts. As part of its process improvement initiatives, Aquila wanted to centralize its operations in Kansas City, which would either require relocating the staff or hiring and training 40 new contact center agents and supervisors, both costly and time-consuming propositions. Both choices meant building out the contact center infrastructure in Kansas City, another expense, considering the necessary investment in a dialer, hardware and telephony expenses.

For many utilities, the collections process is a good candidate for leveraging automation to reduce costs, increase cash flow and forego the capital expense of hardware and infrastructure. That was true for Aquila and its goal was to implement an interactive communication solution to contact customers prior to a disconnection notice and allow them to make a payment without involving an agent.

Aquila also wanted to reach more customers with fewer call center agents, earlier in the pay cycle, to reduce delinquencies and therefore, the number of disconnections. And, by presenting more choices and more personal dialogue, the utility hoped to improve customer service.

Aquila first developed a complex set of business rules to ensure each automated interaction would be within the regulatory guidelines of each respective state. Then the utility worked with its automated communications partner, Varolii Corporation, to create different communications protocols for different types of customers, long-time customers or new accounts, in an effort to reduce receivables without alienating loyal customers and inform new customers about payment options to encourage prompt payment. Aquila also created a set of automated communications for customers who were relocating and had already received their final bill to thank them for their business and reduce instances of late or no payments.

The business results were significant: a 39 percent reduction in account write-offs, a 34 percent increase in disconnect order fulfillment and improved customer satisfaction.

Aquila’s customers soon realized a benefit with this new solution in place. Now, they could make a payment at the push of a button by

choosing the option to transfer to Aquila’s new IVR-based payment processing system.

 

Taming the disconnection challenge

The disconnection process is challenging for any utility. It’s even more so for Aquila, due to its many rural customers in a five-state service area. A round-trip technician visit costs anywhere from $75 to $125, depending on the location.

Due to sheer numbers, collections agents were unable to call through a daily customer list, which delayed disconnect orders and escalated disconnect volume. In fact, monthly disconnect volume was too high for Aquila’s field technician staff to handle, so only 65 percent of disconnect orders were actually fulfilled.

It was imperative for Aquila to resolve accounts earlier and to actually disconnect when trucks were rolled. Within the first few months of using an automated, interactive solution, Aquila realized significant results. With the solution acting as a supplement to agents for contacting customers just prior to disconnection, Aquila increased its contact rate, therefore collecting on more accounts, disconnecting fewer customers, and allowing field technicians to fulfill 99.3 percent of all disconnect orders.

The increased contact rate, about 15 percent higher than with agents alone, and resulting success in Aquila’s residential customer base influenced Aquila’s decision to expand the initiative to include its commercial customers. The utility now uses its automated solution to treat 95 percent to 98 percent of its commercial accounts.

Over time, collections managers noticed something else— customers appreciated the service. Aquila’s customer communications are consistent in volume, in treatment and especially in professionalism, tone and delivery.

 

Reducing seasonal service call variability: furnace inspection scheduling

Appointment requests always spike at the beginning of cold-weather season as utility customers prepare for greater furnace usage through the winter. These calls significantly strain field technicians and call centers, producing a surge in overtime that can prove extremely costly to the utility. The capacity stretch can also be frustrating for customers and the call center agents who speak with them, as long waits for service and complaints escalate.

Aquila soon recognized it could also use automated communications to respond to this issue, easing the pressure on its call center, spreading the workload of its field techs over a greater timeframe, and ultimately responding more quickly to the needs of its customers.

The utility proactively contacted those customers with service contracts or those who had scheduled previous inspections in prior years. The automated system allowed Aquila customers to schedule appointments, with the system checking available dates and times in real time. A final automated call sent a reminder to the customer that the service was forthcoming. This approach proved extremely successful, deflecting 15,000 calls seasonally, significantly reducing labor and overtime and benefiting the customer by helping them plan

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