Utility outages due to extreme weather are accelerating customer service challenges for utility providers. On average, the U.S. suffers more than 20 severe weather events per year that cause losses over $1 billion each, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports. Eight in 10 major U.S. power outages since 2000 have been due to extreme weather; heat season outages alone have increased by 60% since 2009, according to Climate Central. In addition, a growing number of utilities are instituting preemptive Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) to help prevent wildfires.
During an outage, emotions run high. When anxious, frightened customers seek answers fast, the last thing they want is to get stuck in a customer service doom loop. Frantically pushing numbers, getting irrelevant links from a chatbot, or being asked to repeat information by a robot-like voice assistant leaves them frustrated and angry. That’s what you risk if you’re still relying on outdated solutions like chatbots or interactive voice response (IVR) tools.
A modern approach to customer communications can help you transform crisis into connection, building customer trust and enhancing satisfaction. Here’s how an Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) that blends technology with the human touch can deliver the personalized, caring support your customers crave when the next crisis hits.
Before the Outage: Empower Customers With Proactive Communications
A PSPS can happen with little to no warning if weather conditions change quickly. But failing to give customers advance notice could expose your utility to corrective actions, fines or even government investigations. In 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission fined energy utilities more than $22 million for violating PSPS notification requirements. In Colorado, a 2024 electrical outage sparked widespread outrage after residents received only a few hours’ notice before losing power.
Instead, take a proactive approach to communication by giving customers plenty of notice that an outage may occur. For example, during wildfire or hurricane season, send customers alerts of a possible outage, including tips on how to prepare, how to stay updated, and where to get answers to questions. Direct them to self-service options that provide information tailored to each customer’s location, such as real-time status updates and safety tips.
Avoid using generic voice recordings to show your customers how much you care. Partner with an IVA provider that works with you to customize and personalize your IVA. Everything from voice to phrasing should reflect your brand with warmth and humanity.
During the Outage: Combine Caring With Efficiency
Customers expect instant answers during an outage, but the rush of incoming calls can overwhelm the system, causing long wait times.
Embrace an Omnichannel Approach
Create a customer experience that’s continuous across multiple service channels, whether customers are using chat, phone, or mobile app. Customers may need to switch channels unexpectedly due to dropped or spotty service during a crisis. Your IVA should be able to handle this without requiring the customer to start from scratch. Look for a solution that offers asynchronous chat and persistent context so customers can start, stop, and continue conversations when it’s convenient without having to re-input or repeat information.
Ease the Burden on Human Agents
Your customers aren’t the only ones struggling during an outage. Overloaded agents can become stressed and exhausted, leading to poor customer service. Using an IVA that allows you to quickly scale service eases the burden on human agents so they can deliver standout service.
Streamline Interactions with AI-Powered Assistance
Look for a solution that orchestrates workflows so that the IVA can handle most customer interactions, delegating tasks to agents only when necessary. With the right IVA in place, customers won’t even know they’re not speaking to a human. When human interaction is required, streamline it by empowering agents with AI-powered support. With the help of an IVA that provide assists such as warm transfer, customer conversation summaries, and suggested responses to various issues, agents can efficiently deliver thoughtful customer service.
After the Crisis: Follow Up, Show Your Concern, and Learn
Even after service is restored, your brand could suffer repercussions if complaints about poor customer service during the outage gain traction on social media or in the news. Poorly handled outage communications could spur customers to switch to your competition or expose you to regulatory action.
Build bonds with customers by using your IVA to follow up with them after an outage. IVAs with access to real-time information can update customers on restoration efforts, provide ETAs for service restoration, offer advice for handling residual outages, or allow customers to easily report ongoing issues. Be sure to thank customers for their patience and understanding, too.
No matter how smoothly you handle a service outage, there’s always room for improvement. But how do you identify key areas to focus on? Customers today are barraged with surveys after every interaction with a business, so you can’t always count on getting their feedback in a timely fashion.
Choosing an IVA partner that offers advanced analytics tools can help you continuously improve the customer experience. Reviewing customer interactions before, during, and immediately after the outage can pinpoint potential areas for improvement, highlight opportunities for additional automation, and provide a better customer experience during the next outage.
Evolving the Customer Experience to Serve Utility Customers
As the frequency of utility outages increases, organizations that take a modern approach to customer communications during crises will come out on top. With the right technology, you can turn lemons into lemonade and build meaningful relationships with customers during their most trying times.
The right IVA can transform what could be a frightening, frustrating experience for your customers into an opportunity for greater connection with your brand. A modern IVA solution that combines artificial intelligence and automation with the human touch enhances the customer experience and positions your organization as an industry leader.
Ready to dive deeper into how Intelligent Virtual Assistants are shaping the future of utility customer experience? Explore our Q&A with James Wood, SVP of Solutions Architecture at Interactions, for expert insights on navigating customer communication challenges.
