Today’s customers want fast, seamless experiences when interacting with brands. The customer experience (CX) is now a vital component of any customer service strategy and is a crucial aspect of driving up customer service ratings.

Today’s consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on their cellphones and other mobile devices. It’s for this reason that an increasing number of utility providers are now investing in eBilling to improve customer satisfaction. 

In fact, the new Billing Industry Benchmarks report from Chartwell found that utilities can save an average of 54 cents per customer each month by distributing online bills rather than paper bills. 

A new report released by Capgemini, titled ‘Energy & Utilities: Operating in the New Normal’, has laid out some of the key considerations that energy and utility companies need to take into account when it comes to mitigating risk and seizing opportunities in the post-pandemic world.

All consumers, especially  these days, want a fast, easy and noteworthy experience when interacting with brands online. That’s why mobile applications have become an essential tool for customers around the world, with many using them to navigate their day-to-day life. 

As a result, according to Statista, the number of mobile app downloads each year has been steadily increasing. In 2017, there were 178 billion app downloads. That number was projected to grow to 205 billion by 2019, and more than 258 billion in 2022 - a 45 percent increase over five years.

Despite this, utility companies  still lag behind and have become hesitant to adopt mobile technology.

Technology has been driving the way we do business across all industries for decades, but in the last few years particularly, it seems to be accelerating dramatically with innovations and changes happening almost overnight.

Todays’ customers now expect to be able to engage with the companies on their preferred device, at any time. As a result, mobile device usage for commercial companies has seen a stratospheric increase in the last few years.

All utility providers want to spend money more effectively, implement measures to improve efficiency, and introduce technologies to minimize downtime, all while creating a better customer experience that drives customer satisfaction.

One of the hottest topics in today’s business world is that of cybersecurity. Protecting your utility’s customer data is not only a legal requirement, but it’s also absolutely essential for the satisfaction of your customers.

This is particularly important in an environment where cybercrimes on business are commonplace. Carbon Black’s second Canada Threat Report found 88 percent of Canadian businesses reporting suffering a data breach during the past 12 month.

At first glance, water seems like one of Earth’s most renewable resources. It falls from the sky when it rains, it surrounds us in oceans, it’s inside glaciers and icebergs and it covers a staggering 70 per cent of the world’s surface.

However, there’s a problem. Around 97.5 per cent of seawater is unfit for human consumption, and with populations and temperatures rising around the world the freshwater reserves that we do have are under severe pressure.

Now, more than ever before, customers are expecting more from their utility providers. In order to meet their expectations, the future of utilities must be focused on providing a superior customer experience as well as opportunities for customers to engage with their provider on their terms.

If you’re looking for information on how your utility can prepare to meet - and exceed - the needs of your next generation of customers, SilverBlaze is here to help.