Severe weather is inevitable for electricity providers. From gale force winds and snowstorms to floods, there are myriad bad weather incidents that can lead to outages. For example, Storm Desmond caused flooding that took out power for more than 60,000 households.
When severe weather hits, how can utilities avoid a storm of customer dissatisfaction? The immediate response is clear: restore service disruptions as quickly as possible. But there’s another business imperative utilities can’t overlook: customer service. In general, UK utilities lag behind their US counterparts in terms of storm-related customer service. But with inclement weather on the rise in the UK – and growing demand for better service – the pressure is on UK utilities to deliver a higher standard of customer service before, during and after a storm.
Look to US customer service
There are a few reasons why US utilities are a little better positioned than UK providers to offer more robust customer service during storms. First, the US has experienced more severe weather conditions than the majority of the UK, necessitating more refined and broad-based disaster response standards. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, for instance – which left 8.66 million people without power – the US utilities sector took steps to improve incident response industry-wide. US consumers tend to have a higher level of service expectation from their utilities, so expect more comprehensive and timely information, particularly when there’s an outage.
In the UK, there’s a growing need for better customer service during storms – a fact that was starkly illustrated last year. Storm Desmond was particularly damaging for networks, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity and prompting a widespread effort to restore power and provide stronger customer service. But more frequent severe weather isn’t the only factor driving the need for storm-focused service improvements in the UK; evolving technology is also shifting consumer preferences. In this connected age, customers expect immediate and informative communication with their providers during a storm and this is not expected to lessen. It’s time for utilities to meet that expectation.
Support at every phase
For utilities, storm response breaks down into three phases: before, during and after. Here are some 28tools and strategies some of the most successful US utilities use to ensure customer connectedness throughout the lifecycle of a storm.
• Before: This is all about proactive communication. For utilities, this means anticipating and answering likely customer questions. What should I do if the power goes out? What strategies do you have in place for dealing with the expected outage? If I lose power, how quickly can I expect it to be restored? Utilities need to answer these questions before they’re asked, using outbound communication to reach the customer before a storm hits. Unfortunately, few in the industry are doing so: according to a J.D. Power study, proactive communications from electricity providers only reached 7.3 per cent of customers last year. To improve, utility providers should adopt a multi-channel outreach approach that harnesses all the different platforms modern customers use, from calls and texts to mobile push and email notifications. One major box you must tick is consent from your customers, so look to implement a cutting-edge preference solution that ties consent and notifications. There is nothing more powerful than a permission-based relationship with your customer.
• During: Once a storm hits, utilities can typically expect a deluge of customer calls, and they have to act decisively to accommodate every customer. First, providers need to make sure they’re identifying and prioritising outage calls, which they can do via a dedicated outage line or strategic call routing solution. To support every caller, a high volume call answering (HVCA) solution with interactive voice response (IVR) comes into play. IVR systems designed to make self-service quick and efficient ensure that customers report their outage quickly and easily. An HVCA system will ensure you have limited risk of the line being engaged, while seamlessly delivering the customer information to the utility’s outage management system enabling the outage to be reported.
Social media platforms have also been a topic of debate related to the value in customer service outreach during a storm, since they already provide a meeting ground for the general public during weather events. In the five days leading up to, during and after Hurricane Sandy, for instance, more than 20 million storm-related tweets went out. Some utility providers are already taking advantage of social media’s capacity for broad-based communication. PSE&G, Duke Energy and a few others in the US have built a presence on Facebook and Twitter and use both for storm outreach. However, there are drawbacks to using social media for customer communication during a storm. For instance, many utilities serve vast geographic regions, which can create challenges to delivering localised messages. Social media’s instantaneous nature also makes it easier to disseminate misinformation, which can create more chaos in a severe weather situation.
• After: The storm has died down, repair crews are out, and power is being restored – but that’s not when storm-focused customer service ends. Utilities need to reach out to customers to summarise what their incident response plan involved. Customers will appreciate this transparency. This is also a vital time to collect customer feedback that could improve future communications.
During severe weather events, outages are inevitable. When these incidents happen, utility providers need to focus on the things they can control. That doesn’t just mean restoring service – it also means keeping customers informed. Don’t let an outage turn into an outrage. Weather conditions are changing, technology is evolving, and customers are holding their utilities to a higher service standard. Bolstering storm service is a necessary step towards earning and maintaining customer loyalty.
Greg Ablett, senior VP of utility and business support, West Corporation