Solutions to Power Your Utility Call Center: Don’t Be Kept in the Dark

Do you ever learn about something new and discover you’ve been kept in the dark the whole time without even realizing it? Every day it seems that someone is sharing a new trick like how to slice an avocado without the mess, or the inside scoop on how to clean your dishwasher or keep your drawers organized. Sometimes these solutions seem so simple, I can’t believe I didn’t already know about it and I wonder how I carried on “in the dark” for so long.

Well, today is your lucky day because I’m about to reveal a few solutions that will help your everyday tasks be done more simply and quickly. As a utility provider, you have a lot going on when it comes to providing people with the necessities — power, trash services, heat, air conditioning and more. Not only that, but you also have a lot going on logistically as you ensure operations run smoothly through communication, reporting and payment processing.

Take a look at a few groundbreaking industry solutions that can improve your daily tasks and processes to save you time and money — voila! 

How do I communicate with my customers?

Leaders in the contact center industry have had to sprint to stay ahead of the ever-changing technology that allows everyone to communicate with each other. With the development of social media, texting and online chats, service providers are expected to meet consumers on their channel of choice. Thankfully, there are call center features that can help you communicate with your customers effectively and efficiently.

With an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solution, you can provide customers with interactive and self-serve features that make it easy for them to request information, reach a customer service representative or make a payment — all on their phones.

Did you know that with the right call center software, you can contact thousands of consumers in minutes with notifications and promotions? When you have a robust software solution, you can notify customers of overdue accounts or service interruptions and shut-off warnings easily via call, text or email. These omnichannel features help reduce the cost of postage while improving your customers’ trust in your service. 

Establishing communication with your customers will help them feel informed, keep them up-to-date and reduce customer inquiries. When contacting customers, you can also provide them with the option to link back to a live agent or be placed in a queued callback. In the event of an emergency that disrupts your office operations, your messages can still be sent with a cloud-based platform. Only a phone or computer with internet access is required to send customer communications, meaning you can always keep your customers in the know.

Take a look at how a national utility company used TCN to help families stay up-to-date when devastating storms caused blackouts and service outages — See Case Study

Making sure your customers know they can contact your company is the best way to empower both parties — just make sure you have the right call center software for your industry. 

Raise the Bar With Data & Payment Processing

Here’s a little call center pro tip: Strong reporting and analytics tools can take you from being “okay at customer service” to being a rockstar in customer satisfaction. Your call center software should provide you with real-time data and analytics that are easy to access and understand.

Access to data and insights can give you the inside scoop on your operations. With these insights, you can identify areas in need of improvement, patterns of success or ways to better address customer needs. You can also discover what common inquiries your company receives, which method of communication is commonly preferred, and see which attempts are most effective for collecting payments.

Speaking of payments, if you’re not utilizing your call center software to increase account payments, then you’re not taking full advantage of the tools at your fingertips. Using the communication channels we talked about earlier, agents can send customers notifications about overdue or upcoming payments with secure payment links that allow them to make a payment quickly and smoothly. 

Taking advantage of your call center reporting and payment options is an excellent way to set your company apart from the competition and prove that you’re dedicated to providing only the best customer experience.

How TCN Shines a Light on Call Center Solutions

The best part of all of this? There’s a call center software provider that is available to you, made for serving utility providers and it’s extremely easy to implement and use. Yes, really. 

TCN, a cloud-based platform, helps shine the light on solutions that can power your utility call center. The software comes complete with all these tools and more. From omnichannel features and reporting tools to IVR solutions and notifications, TCN is focused on providing your utility call center with everything you need. With 24/7 customer support, you’ll never feel like you are lost in the dark again.

Let TCN shed some light on how it can help improve your operations. Request a demo now to get an inside look!