Zappix
Elevating Customer Engagement in the Utility Space

The evolving landscape of digital experiences and consumer expectations necessitates businesses to prioritize customer service excellence to remain competitive. Within the utility industry, where consumers can choose from multiple service providers, the quality of customer service becomes a decisive factor in selecting one provider over another. Embracing digital solutions then becomes a business imperative for utility providers to adeptly address the consumers’ evolving needs. However, navigating this transition presents a formidable challenge.

As Yossi Abraham, President and CEO of Zappix, says, “Utilities often find it difficult to adopt and integrate advanced digital solutions due to the industry’s historical inertia, leaving them behind in technological advancements and, ultimately, customer experiences.”

Zappix is at the forefront of this digital evolution and uses its expertise in digital engagement from other industries to allow utility companies to integrate digital experiences into their service delivery approach. Zappix has worked to transform customer experiences and merges top-notch technologies with best practices to provide successful digital experiences.

At the center of Zappix’s AI-Powered Digital Engagement Platform are three essential products designed to elevate the customer experience. Zappix transforms the user journey by engaging through Digital Outreach, deflecting inbound calls using Digital Self-Service, and optimizing agents’ interactions using Digital Agent Assist. By implementing these solutions, Zappix clients effectively reduce call volumes to their call centers, redirect mundane and repetitive inquiries toward self-service options, and optimize agents’ efficiency. Zappix Digital Self-Service offers utility customers advanced functionalities, such as geo-location tagging, that expedite resolutions across various scenarios, such as outage reporting, status checks, and self-serve troubleshooting.

A recent success Zappix experienced in the utility industry involved a European utility client operating a public lighting infrastructure, including lamp poles. Previously, customers had to call the utility provider and await assistance from an agent to report any issues with street lights. By implementing Zappix’s solution, the client revamped their user experiences. Now, when customers contact the utility provider, their call seamlessly transitions to the self-service option. Users confirm their location and submit the report, triggering an automatic ticket generation process. This efficient system streamlines operations and ensures swift resolution of issues.

The seamless array of self-service options underscores the versatility of Digital Self-Service across various scenarios. For other clients, users can enter their ZIP code to check the status of outages in their area. Additionally, they can utilize the integrated visual and digital FAQ resource to troubleshoot energy-related problems in their residential or commercial properties, covering both gas and electricity issues. During emergencies such as gas leaks, the solution prioritizes and routes calls to the appropriate support personnel, ensuring timely and proper attention.

Zappix effectively manages contact center call surges by leveraging its Digital Outreach product. Digital Outreach orchestrates and delivers timely and tailored messages to diverse consumer demographics through automated workflows. This proactive approach enables the distribution of updates, reminders, or notifications to customers regarding matters such as outages, account details, or upcoming appointments. For instance, customers awaiting a meter change can receive reminders via text or email, ensuring they are ready for their appointments. This strategy significantly alleviates agent workload and minimizes operational costs.

Enhancing customer experience is a continuous journey, and we are always looking to expand and improve our solutions

Another recent achievement underscores Zappix’s dedication to enhancing efficiency. A utility client aimed to mitigate surge calls that frequently inundated their agents. In response, Zappix equipped them with a digital self-service and Visual IVR solution, which enabled the client to divert more than 25 percent of incoming calls to self-service channels. On average, this translated to approximately 20,000 calls per month, significantly reducing the workload on their agents and saving hundreds of thousands of calls annually. The reduced call volume alleviated the burden on agents and enabled them to focus on addressing more complex inquiries, improving overall efficiency, and reducing call center costs.

While Digital Self-Service and Digital Outreach focus on prevention and deflection, Zappix Agent Assist aims to optimize agent interactions. Zappix’s innovative solution empowers agents, enhances call handling, and elevates customer satisfaction. Digital Agent Assist delivers self-service automation tools initiated by the agents and sent directly to customers via text and email, providing a streamlined and efficient interaction experience. These tools empower contact center agents and technical teams to resolve issues remotely, reducing on-site visits and improving operational efficiency.

Zappix’s AI-Powered Digital Engagement Platform integrates with existing back-end systems, such as ERP and CRM. Combined with omnichannel accessibility, automated workflows, and detailed analytics, Zappix caters to diverse client requirements. Utility providers that use Zappix services can provide best-in-class customer solutions through voice channels, texts, email, and QR codes, ensuring service excellence.

“Enhancing customer experience is a continuous journey, and we are always looking to expand and improve our solutions,” says Abraham.

Zappix Digital Engagement Solution is cloud-based and powered by the Zappix Studio for rapid solution implementation and updates, ensuring agility, flexibility, and continuous improvement. Thanks to its blend of cutting-edge technologies, unwavering commitment to innovation, and extensive industry knowledge, Zappix stands as a preferred partner for utilities seeking to elevate customer satisfaction.