Energy suppliers are facing massive challenges. On the one hand, the energy transformation is in full swing; on the other hand, heat pumps, flat-rate relief payments and similar measures are creating an increased need for advice among consumers. At the same time, it is critical to keep sight of the customer experience (CX).
What energy suppliers have to deliver today
Agents in the contact centres of energy suppliers already had their hands full with processing calls and emails promptly to meet the citizens’ need for information and answering questions about registration and billing. For example, the service centre of Hamburger Energiewerke GmbH alone processes some 120,000 emails every year, with the Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserwerke receiving around three times as much electronic mail in a year ̶ and that doesn’t include phone calls and chat messages.
The complexity of customer queries in the energy sector is increasing
It is not only the sheer volume of customer queries but also their general nature which has changed. For a long time now, customers have been communicating more than just metre readings or changes of address. Many of their concerns are much more complex: When will I receive my energy cost subsidy? Why are carbon dioxide costs listed on my electricity bill? How can I submit my metre reading? Where do I have to register the new wallbox for my e-car?
Answers to such questions are not always easy to find – yet more and more customers are demanding exactly that. Energy supply companies that cannot do this quickly fall behind. As a recent Deloitte study (German only) confirms, 60 percent of customers have already switched providers at least once due to poor service experiences. It’s high time for energy suppliers to automate their processes to improve the customer experience for customers, especially as the current price developments in the energy sector are fuelling the willingness to switch. According to the comparison portal Verivox, electricity prices for new customers are currently around 29 cents per kilowatt hour. Existing customers pay 36 cents. Those who do not impress them with first-class service will possibly see one or two of them from behind in the near future.
How energy service providers benefit from novomind iAGENT
More and more energy suppliers have understood this and are implementing appropriate solutions in their contact centres. For example, the Dortmunder Energiewerke (DEW21) has taken personal customer service on site to a new level with the help of novomind iAGENT: “Every day, we advise around 200 customers. Thanks to novomind iAGENT, we can now forward them to the consultants with the right skills. This has reduced waiting times enormously – and who likes waiting?” says DEW21 complaints manager Robert Tigges.
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Case study "DEW21"
Potsdam also believes in the novomind platform, and with good reason: just weeks after introducing the new contact center solution, Energie und Wasser Potsdam GmbH had reduced its email backlog by around 30 per cent, optimised load distribution and call flows, and reduced the average waiting time for telephone service to a few minutes. Customers are happy, and so are employees.
Why automation is indispensable for energy supply companies in the service sector
In order to achieve the balancing act between increasing price pressures, exponential contact volumes and demanding customers, energy service providers need to upgrade their service standards as quickly as possible. This means that agents must be able to retrieve required information in real time and process open cases across all channels. Incoming calls must also be prioritised and routed intelligently, and questions must be processed automatically. Omnichannel contact center software provides the basis for this. For example, novomind iAGENT not only pools all contact channels and data on a single interface, but also provides smart tools for efficient customer service.
novomind iAGENT provides everything that energy supply companies need for successful omnichannel communication: different communication channels as well as the required data and information. Whether e-mail, live chat/chatbot, social media, contact form, letter/fax, messaging or telephone – novomind iAGENT offers the right feature for every channel. And all this on a centralised platform with an intuitive interface. What’s more, artificial intelligence (AI) is an integral part of the novomind iAGENT platform and supports all customer interactions – from the automated processing and categorisation of emails to intelligent chat, email and voice bots that solve customer queries almost as well as their human colleagues. The highlight: the intelligent AI-based agents not only have access to the complete customer history, but can also seamlessly transfer conversations and all newly collected information to service employees.
How AI agents process customer enquiries automatically
- Change of instalment payment
- Transmission of the meter reading
- Notification of relocation
- Change of SEPA mandate/bank data
100% automation: let AI agents answer for you
How automation benefits employees and customers
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Whitepaper „On the same wavelength“
Do you want to know how you can convince customers who are willing to switch to stay with excellent service? Find out how this works in practice and how AI technology can help in our whitepaper.