The utilities industry is in a state of transformation with a myriad of marketplace pressures threatening to disrupt decades-old systems and business models. Deregulation has meant consumers now have choices when it comes to water, gas and electricity services. At the same time, industry leaders are faced with cost pressures, and the demand to find efficiencies company-wide is at an all-time high.

Customer Guru 2020 NPS score benchmarks for utilities companies range from -10 to 20 across the largest brands. Faced with this knowledge, utilities companies are making customer experience a priority like never before, and for many it makes sense to outsource this function. There are many benefits to partnering with an experienced customer experience provider, including access to the latest technology, but perhaps most important in today’s marketplace is cost savings.

While industry average NPS scores range from -10 to 20, OptimumCX clients have an average NPS score of 72 and agent satisfaction above 90.

Avoid Unnecessary Capital Expenditures
With competition increasing almost as fast as consumer expectations, utilities companies can’t afford to ignore customer experience. But establishing an in-house contact center can be costly, from facilities, telecommunications and network infrastructure, to desks, cubicles, computer stations and more. Add to these the costs of recruiting, training, salaries and benefits, and the investment can be overwhelming if not unrealistic. Customer experience service providers not only have established facilities and infrastructure but are also experienced in hiring and training staff.

An OptimumCX utilities client recently moved its in-house contact center operations to a fully outsourced model and reduced operating costs by 7 percent.

Access Best-in-class Technology
Similar to investing in facilities and infrastructure, customer experience providers also have advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. These tools make it possible to connect with customers through a variety of channels, from voice and email to SMS text and webchat. System implementation can cost well into six figures depending on factors such as the size and complexity of your business and objectives.

CRM systems allow you to not only connect seamlessly with customers, but also gather valuable data that can be used to gain insights into your business to drive customer experience, improve efficiencies and more. While some service providers merely gather data and leave clients to decipher it, OptimumCX provides robust, 360-degree reporting so valuable information isn’t overlooked. We merge data from disparate sources into one platform and present it in an easy-to-use interface with customizable dashboards and real-time reports for fully-informed decision making.

Optimum CX utilizes some of the most advanced contact center technology in the industry to provide the foundation required for our highly personalized approach to customer experience.

Workforce Optimization
In-house contact centers often lack the resources to provide staffing beyond 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., much less offer 24-hour coverage. Customers with outage or billing issues who can’t reach someone will quickly become frustrated and escalate the issue or vent on social media to compound the problem.

By outsourcing these functions, however, you can offer 24-hour service that ensures customer engagement opportunities are never missed. This not only creates better customer experience, but also optimizes your workforce. For example, an outsourced contact center can easily move staff to respond to both low and high call volumes.

As a small organization, OptimumCX can quickly respond to marketplace changes to ensure ultimate workforce optimization.

While delivering reliable, efficient utilities is your core competency, customer experience is often better in the hands of an experienced provider. OptimumCX understands the demands of the utilities industry and has experience handling account creation, billing inquiries, outage reports and other issues 24-hours a day in a professional and friendly manner. To find out more, visit optimumcx.com or email contact@optimumcx.com.