PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM

Transcription

1 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM Leverage this storm kit to immediately boost your voice, social media, and text communications before, during and after a storm.

2 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 2 OF 9 BEST PRACTICES FOR ALL YOUR OUTAGE COMMUNICATIONS When severe weather comes rolling in, customers have little patience for service interruptions and expect outstanding customer service. Utility companies are in a unique position to exceed these expectations in an industry where their offerings are seen as not only assets, but everyday must haves. By proactively communicating with your customers and getting in front of the storm, you can achieve higher performance in areas influencing customer satisfaction and engagement. From the perspective of customers, keeping them informed during outages is an integral part of the restoration process 1. Several utilities experienced significantly lower customer satisfaction scores as a result of major storms, and many of the customer complaints involved inadequate power restoration updates 1. 1 J.D. Power and Associates, 2012 CUSTOMER IMPACT REPORT: UTILITY OUTAGE COMMUNICATIONS PREFERENCES

3 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 3 OF 9 Proactively communicating with customers through their preferred channels is a proven way to decrease inbound calls while freeing resources to focus on other high-priority operations. Leverage these best practices to optimize interactions across every channel. OUTBOUND VOICE MESSAGES Before calling your customers, make sure you are following compliance regulations Read your script aloud before recording to monitor pauses and reduce mistakes Repeat phone numbers, street addresses and website addresses so customers are sure to get the information they need Limit menu options to three or four Use consistent verbiage across communications (e.g., customer service representative vs. agent) Review the message before sending to customers Before ing your customers, make sure you are following compliance regulations Include an attention-grabbing subject line Keep s concise Large files should be hyperlinked in lieu of oversized attachments Provide clear contact information Emphasize important information through text formatting such as bolding or underlining key content Break content into short, easily digestible chunks Proofread before sending out TEXT MESSAGES Before texting your customers, make sure you are following compliance regulations such as giving them the option to STOP receiving texts Keep your messages concise and to the point (character limitations) If you offer one-way text in place of two-way, be sure to convey important information clearly and efficiently Provide the ability for the customer to receive additional information based upon keywords or agent assistance SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter updates should be under 140 characters and link to a website Use storm designated hashtags in Tweets and personal messages Post useful information Respond to all complaints and questions in a timely manner Responses should only be positive or provide additional contact information Provide contact information

4 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 4 OF 9 SAMPLE COMMUNICATIONS TO HELP WEATHER THE STORM An outage is never a pleasant experience but effective communication makes these situations more manageable for the customer and the utility company. By getting proactive, you can reduce operational costs while providing the connected customer experience today s mobile customers expect. Leverage the following sample messages across multiple channels to effectively communicate before, during and after a storm. 1 J.D. Power and Associates, 2012 CUSTOMER IMPACT REPORT: UTILITY OUTAGE COMMUNICATIONS PREFERENCES Providing customers with options on how they communicate and interact with their utility for different business needs is a driver of satisfaction, as J.D. Power Studies have found that customers who contact their utility via electronic channels are more satisfied than are those who contact via traditional channels (e.g., telephone, mail). This is true as well for outage communications 1.

5 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 5 OF 9 SAMPLE MESSAGES: BEFORE THE STORM When a storm is on the horizon, customers can easily overlook the valuable service you provide them on a regular basis. As their trusted advisor, you can provide preemptive messages with information on preparation tips, shelter locations and contact information to put them at ease. Subject: Severe Weather Affecting Your Area Severe weather is approaching, and we want to warn you about the potential of service interruptions. Please make sure you have necessary supplies like flashlights with batteries, food and water, and a radio to keep you informed of developing weather updates. Visit our website at [UtilityCompanyX.com] for more storm preparedness suggestions and information around the developing storm. If you experience an interruption in service, please follow the instructions on our website or call us at We will provide you with timely updates as they occur. To change your communication channel preferences, please visit MY ACCOUNT at [UtilityCompanyX.com]. Thank you, [UtilityCompanyX] [UTILITYCOMPANYX] STORM ALERT: Severe weather is forecasted. Please prepare by visiting; [insert shortened link] This is an important message from [UtilityCompanyX]. With severe weather approaching, we want to warn you about the potential of service interruptions. Please avoid downed or arcing power lines and gather necessary supplies. Visit our website at [UtilityCompanyX.com] for storm preparedness suggestions and information around the developing storm. We will provide you with timely updates as they occur. To hear this message again, please stay on the line. To change your communication channel preferences, please visit MY ACCOUNT at [UtilityCompanyX.com]. Severe weather is approaching. Please take the necessary steps to ensure your safety, and visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] for updates, and safety/ preparedness tips. #StormName Severe weather is approaching. Visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] for storm preparation tips. #StormName

6 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 6 OF 9 SAMPLE MESSAGES: DURING THE STORM When the storm hits and service is interrupted, your customers can feel left in the dark in more ways than one. Let them know you re in this together by providing timely outage updates, shelter information and hazard alerts. Provide information like estimated times of restoration (ETR), outage maps and cause of the outage to create transparency. Subject: Extreme Weather: Service Interruption Due to severe weather, we are experiencing scattered outages throughout our service area. The map below shows our current outages. Your expected restoration time is [X P.M.] We will contact you again if this time changes. We apologize for any inconvenience this disruption may cause and are working hard to minimize impact. Stay safe, [UtilityCompanyX] [UTILITYCOMPANYX] OUTAGE: Service outages in your area. Service restoration estimate is [X] hours. Visit [insert shortened link] for more information. This is an important message from [UtilityCompanyX]. Due to severe weather, we are experiencing scattered outages throughout our service area. Your expected restoration time is [X P.M.] We will contact you again if this time changes. We apologize for any inconvenience this disruption may cause and are working hard to minimize impact. Thank you for your patience. To hear this message again, please stay on the line. [UtilityCompanyX] is currently responding to outages. We care about your satisfaction and are taking every step necessary to quickly restore your service and respond to your developing questions. For more information visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] or call us at [ ]. #StormName Due to the storm, we are experiencing outages. Please stay tuned for timely service updates [UtilityCompanyX.com]. #StormName

7 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 7 OF 9 SAMPLE MESSAGES: AFTER THE STORM Solid communication shouldn t stop just because the storm has ended. With an array of aftermath to deal with, provide your customers with closure by delivering clean-up tips and schedules, reminders around residual restoration efforts, and power confirmations. Subject: Power Confirmation & Restoration Update Due to recent severe weather, some of our customers have experienced outages. We believe power has been restored to your home. If this is not the case, please reply to this message with your home address. If you are unsure that you re power has been restored, or unable to reply to this , please go to [UtilityCompanyX.com] for more information. Rest assured crews are engaged in full-scale clean-up efforts. For more information regarding clean-up tips and schedules, please visit [UtilityCompanyX.com]. Thank you, Your Utility Company [UTILITYCOMPANYX] RESTORATION ALERT: Resources are engaged in clean-up efforts. Send YES to for clean-up schedule updates. This is an important message from [UtilityCompanyX]. We believe power has been restored to your home. If this is not the case, please press 0 to connect to an agent. Rest assured crews are engaged in full-scale cleanup efforts. To receive clean-up tips and schedules, please say [yes] now. To hear this message again, please stay on the line or visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] We are working hard to restore power for all customers currently experiencing outages and crews are engaged in full-scale restoration efforts. To report a service delay or if you want more information, please visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] #StormName Power still not restored? Visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] to report. #StormName Resources are engaged in clean-up efforts, visit [UtilityCompanyX.com] for more info #StormName

8 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM PAGE 8 OF 9 HOW ONE UTILITY COMPANY SAVED MONEY & EASED MINDS WITH PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS $181k $84k 11 pt. 80% 2.5% inbound IVR call savings using proactive outreach return on investment via proactive outreach increase in J.D. Power and Associates scores fewer inbound calls fewer repeat callers While outage-related calls are relatively easy to contain, actually delivering the efficient, relatable experience utility customers crave adds a new challenge to communication strategy. When one major East Coast utility company sought to converge three discrete IVR systems, they were at a crossroads: make incremental enhancements to their legacy system, or undergo a complete redesign and introduce proactive notifications to their overall communication strategy. With West s help, this utility company created a solution from the ground up to improve efficiency, decrease operational costs, streamline the customer experience and set the contemporary standard for automation among its sibling companies. Proactive SMS and voice notifications play a major role in their newfound success. Now this utility company keeps their 7.8 million customers in-the-know throughout the entire storm lifecycle and on blue sky days. Their timely outage updates and payment confirmations have resulted in an 80 percent decrease in inbound calls. Furthermore, they saved over $180,000 in just a one month period while successfully reaching 87 percent of their opt-in customers. Clearly, getting more proactive has been a win-win for this major utility company and their customers. Utility companies understand firsthand how influential the effects of decisive action can be during critical events like outages. Customers take note of positive experiences in times of panic, and providing the peace-of-mind customers crave can make all the difference in your their long term perception of you, their trusted advisor. Help them weather the storm now and enjoy greater organizational prosperity in the long run. For more information on proactive communications, contact West Interactive Services.

9 PROACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS: HELPING CUSTOMERS WEATHER THE STORM ABOUT WEST West delivers communication solutions that help brands create connected customer experiences. We have 30 years of experience strategically improving customer interaction, enhancing productivity and increasing profitability, with clients in healthcare, education, utilities and diverse commercial industries. West Interactive Services solutions include IVR & Self-Service, Proactive Notifications & Mobility, Cloud Contact Center and Professional Services. Experience Connected at west.com/interactive.