Most of us interact with websites, applications, and other digital platforms on a daily basis. As consumers, we have probably gotten frustrated or annoyed by a hard-to-use website or difficulty getting help when we need it. That is why customer experience is so important in web design and development, particularly for critical service providers like utility companies.
Customer experience includes every interaction that you have with your customers. By crafting a comprehensive, proactive strategy, you can improve customer experience - and customer retention. Incorporating the latest trends - like personalization and automation - can help your utility company stay ahead of the curve.
Inclind works with clients in the energy industry to help them build smart, responsive websites that will keep customers happy. Our award-winning collaboration of website designers and developers stays on top of the latest technology and CX trends to make sure that your website works for you and your customers. If you’d like to learn more, reach out to schedule a consultation with a member of our team.
What Is Customer Experience?
Customer experience - commonly referred to as CX - is how a business interacts with its customers throughout every aspect of their relationship. It is about more than just implementing certain features, such as a customer portal. It involves setting the tone for how customers feel about your company as a brand.
CX is incredibly important for helping you differentiate your brands from others. In fact, a recent study found that 89% of companies believe that CX is the new competitive battlefield. Customers want the companies they do business with to know and respect them. Delivering more personalized interactions can improve customers’ perception of your business.
There is a major difference in the positive and negative customer experience outcomes. Bad experiences can often result in lost business, with 73% of consumers stating that they would switch to a competitor after multiple bad interactions with a brand. A good experience can increase brand loyalty and customer retention, with 60% of consumers stating that they buy goods or services from brands based on the service they receive.
Good CX means that your customers should leave an interaction feeling satisfied. This can include easy-to-use customer portals, self-service customer service options, and the ability to connect with customer service from any device.
By contrast, a bad CS can leave a customer feeling disappointed or frustrated - as though your company does not care about them as an organization. This often comes from things like nonresponsive customer service, hard-to-navigate websites, and marketing that isn’t targeted to meet customer needs.
For example, consider a situation where a customer is experiencing a problem with their service. They log onto their utility company website for answers - and quickly find an article in the self-help library that helps them figure out exactly what to do. They had a few questions and could easily chat with a customer service agent to get information. This is an example of a good customer experience that can leave a customer with a good impression of your business.
Now, picture a scenario where that same customer went to your website but couldn’t locate the self-help library. They attempted to talk to a customer service agent, but all they got was a chatbot that didn’t give them any useful information - and they also couldn’t find your customer service number on the website. In this situation, the customer would likely walk away frustrated and may even consider switching utility companies.
We have all been in the second situation with a company. It can be really upsetting to simply not get the information or help you need, particularly when you’re paying for a product or service. Building good customer experience into your website - particularly CX that uses smart new technology - is a great way to increase brand loyalty and retain customers.
Top Customer Experience Trends for Utility Companies
The utility market is ever-changing - and increasingly competitive. If you run a utility company - or are simply responsible for its website - consider embracing these CX trends. Putting these technologies into place can help your company gain an advantage over others in the field - and keep your customers happy.
Personalization
One of the top CX trends for utility companies is one that has become popular across all industries - personalization. Customers want personalized experiences more than one-size-fits-all solutions. Using data analytics can be a great way to offer tips and recommendations for individual customers.
By integrating data analytics software with your website and marketing tools, you could provide customers with things like targeted pricing data, ideas for energy-efficient upgrades, and recommendations to reduce usage based on how they use energy. This is helpful information for customers - and will increase their satisfaction with your company. A custom integration with various software tools can help you personalize your website for better CX.
Self-Service Options
In 2024, many customers are more technologically adept - and don’t want to talk on the phone. A robust self-service portal is a must for outstanding CX. Your customers should be able to use these portals to track usage, pay bills, and manage their accounts. Having great self-service options is also smart for utility companies, as it can reduce call center volume and the need to hire additional agents.
Automation
When something goes wrong with your utility service, it doesn’t always happen Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Automation tools like artificially intelligent (AI) chatbots can provide customers with information like real-time outage updates, account information, and tips. These chatbots can often handle more routine requests so that your customer service agents can focus on more complex issues and on helpingpeople who aren’t as tech-savvy.
Automation can also help with CX in other ways, such as predicting equipment failures. For example, you could use AI to alert customers to a potential issue before it happens so that they can take proactive measures.
Sustainability
Customer experience (CX) isn’t just about picking a service and paying for it. It extends to every aspect of your interactions with customers. Incorporating sustainability into your CX can be a great way to improve CX, especially as more people than ever before are concerned about energy efficiency and going “green.”
For example, you could offer your customers more sustainable products, like smart thermostats. You could also provide information about ways to go green, including your company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
Advanced Use of Technology
Technology has evolved quite a bit since many utility companies were first founded. Taking advantage of this technology can improve customer experience in quite a few ways. For example, your company could use automatic meter reading (AMR) to get real-time usage information rather than relying on estimates or sending workers out to read meters manually.
Other technologies, like smart grid technologies and advanced metering infrastructure, can provide customers with a more efficient and convenient experience. These systems should all be integrated so that data can be seamlessly shared across all channels and between departments.
More Availability on Digital Channels
While it is possible to make generalizations about how people like to interact with the companies that they do business with, the reality is that everyone is different. The best way to improve customer experience as a utility company is to offer plenty of options so that you can meet customers where they are. In other words, you shouldn’t just have one option for getting in touch or seeking help but offer a range of choices - such as phone, email, chat, an app, and social media.
Proactive Communication
Rather than wait for customers to contact you when there is a problem, utility companies can improve CX by utilizing smart technologies to contact customers first. For example, if there is a planned power outage, you can reach out to customers to let them know so that they can prepare. If a customer has a bill that hasn’t been paid, you can contact them so that they can avoid late fees or service disruptions.
Improve CX with Inclind
Customer experience isn’t just an option for businesses in 2024—it should be considered a necessity. Building a website that incorporates the latest technology can help you improve CX and customer retention. It can also reduce your costs and increase efficiency—an all-around win.
At Inclind, we offer a full range of web development and design services for utility companies. Our services include everything that you need to make your customer experience outstanding, from design consultations to custom integrations, conversion optimization, and support and maintenance services. We work collaboratively with our customers to help them develop a CX strategy that works for them.
If you’d like to learn more about our web services for utility companies, we’re available to talk. You can fill out our online contact form or call 800-604-8139 to talk to one of our experts about your website.