4 Customer communication trends utility leaders should know

Customer communication is essential for utilities. Customer expectations for service experiences are higher than ever, and utilities aren’t exempt from this trend. Customers expect real-time, transparent updates on the status of their field service jobs and won’t wait around for technicians to arrive. Meanwhile, utilities lose efficiency and revenue every time they make a call and a customer isn’t home. 

As customer experience trends in utilities evolve, service providers will need to keep up or face decreased customer satisfaction, higher call volumes, and more no-access appointments.

Here are 4 key trends utility leaders should know:

Real-time updates

By offering real-time status alerts and updates, services like Uber, Amazon, and DoorDash have raised the bar for customer expectations. 

Utilities that don’t follow suit by increasing day-of-service transparency face two main problems: 

No-access appointments – The industry average for no-access appointments is 15%. Every failed appointment wastes time, fuel, and resources. 

Negative customer experience – Studies suggest that stress and anxiety related to wait time uncertainty impacts customers’ overall experience, even if the appointment itself goes well. As more people get accustomed to notifications with precise ETAs and appointment reminders, utilities that don’t offer real-time updates will be seen as leaving their customers in the dark. 

The solution

To provide maximum transparency and avoid the above issues, utilities need to:

• Send customers notifications with information about the appointment, including prep instructions

• Send reminders on the day of the appointment and notify customers when their technician is on the way and when they’ve arrived

• Include real-time technician tracking so the customer has full visibility into their location

Two-way communication

The future of utility customer communication isn’t just about sending SMS status updates or appointment reminders. Customers also want to be able to talk to their technician, and a support phone number or email address won’t cut it anymore. 

Customers shouldn’t have to wait on hold with a call centre to communicate things like “the side gate is unlocked,” “I need extra time to answer the door,” or “I’m just stepping out for a few minutes.” Two-way communication reduces stress for the customer and helps prevent no-access appointments. 

The solution

Customer engagement technology can support two-way communication while protecting the privacy and personal phone numbers of all parties. The best solutions will also offer multiple channels depending on the customer’s preference (e.g., phone, text, email.) 

Self-service

The pandemic has accelerated the pace of digitalization, and customers have grown even more comfortable with digital self-service options. While digital customer service can’t totally replace your human customer support team, it’s an option you’ll need to offer in order to provide a great service experience. 

Requiring a phone call just to reschedule or cancel a service appointment creates unnecessary friction and increases call volume. Many customers will just bail on an appointment rather than deal with a call centre. But if given the option to self-service, they’ll gladly take it. 

The solution

A self-service option for scheduling, rescheduling, and providing the technician with additional information — directions to access doors, gate codes, etc. — reduces friction for all parties. 

When customers can access their appointment info through a self-service portal, it reduces the likelihood of human error and miscommunication over the phone. The result is a streamlined experience and a higher chance of appointments going smoothly the first time. 

Post-appointment engagement

Feedback is like gold for customer experience professionals, and a surprisingly large number of people are willing to offer it for free. Research indicates that 41% of customers want to rate the services they receive. However, many consumers face challenges when it comes to offering constructive criticism to utilities. 

Timing matters more than you’d expect — the longer it’s been since an appointment, the more likely customers are to focus on the negatives. This can colour the data that you get in a bad light, and lead to fewer responses. 

By automating the feedback process and requesting feedback immediately following service appointments, utilities can maximise the value of this data and quickly resolve any outstanding issues. Asking for feedback is also a signal that you care about the customer experience and are working to make it better. 

The solution

Customer engagement technology makes it easy to collect feedback through multiple channels. Localz, for example, can be set up to send customers a geo-triggered feedback request as soon as the technician leaves the property. 

This platform can also automate negative feedback alerts for your support team so they can promptly address issues and rebuild trust with unhappy customers. You can also include a field on your feedback form asking if the customer would like a follow-up call. 

Often, the customer will opt out of a survey response, and that means you can save time and resources while still gathering valuable feedback from others. 

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Conclusion

Communication is crucial for a positive customer experience. Luckily for utilities who want to improve customer satisfaction, reduce no-access calls, and save money, there are simple solutions like Localz that can bring their services up to date with the latest customer communication trends.