Multi-state utility enhances customer service with new automated response system EIG design is best at UtiliCorp

Utilicorp United, a major utility company in the mid-west, significantly improved it's customer service Interactive Voice Response system. The improvements were made by Enterprise Integration Group, the premier IVR consulting company.

San Ramon, CA -- March 13, 2002 - There are those who believe any automated voice response system is better than none.
   UtiliCorp United, the Kansas City based energy and services company, is decidedly not one of them.
   When the utility, which provides service to 1.3 million electric and natural gas customers in seven states, set out to install an automated customer service system this year, they did so with the goal of making theirs an exemplary system which customers enjoyed using.
   Doing so required balancing two components of an equation: system mechanics and the human dynamics of how customers react to automated service.
   We wanted the best thinking on what needed to be done, what the menu choices needed to be and where they should be encountered," said Jim Birnbaum, Director of Business Process Management at UtiliCorp and project team leader.
   To ensure that customer needs could be met, the firm retained Enterprise Integration Group, the professional services firm specializing in IVR human factors design.
Our challenge was to design a first time self-service application and not only maintain, but improve customer satisfaction," said Rex Stringham, EIG president.    

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EIG interviewed customer service associates, learned our business and what questions customers ask us," Birnbaum said. As a result of our work with them, we collectively developed the menu and prompts in a way that customers understand, using layperson language, not our internal language."                                                            

The utility has learned that customers will respond better to the system if they are offered only three or four choices, and if they can accomplish their task in three or fewer steps, he explained.
   Even after investing several weeks in system design and development, the new voice response system (IVR) was still deemed not quite ready for implementation. The reason? A final customer test was needed.
   EIG brought in 20 customers, both residential and business, conducted a test with them and we then made changes based on what people were doing or not doing in the IVR." Birnbaum said. We learned what worked and what didnt with this direct customer feedback."                                                
   The system became available to customers this fall and early indications are that it is very well received.
   We are absolutely meeting or exceeding all expectations on usage," Birnbaum said. More than 92 percent of customers make choices at the first menu offered and customers do a tremendous amount of business with us through this new system.
The IVR frees up five to nine customer service associates each day, allowing them to focus on calls requiring a personal interaction. This savings results in increased productivity for the company, and faster response times for the customer. Many of our transactions are straightforward; such as how much is owed, whether we received payment and what payment arrangements can be made. The IVR handles all these transactions very well and weve even found that when the system offers a payment option, 70% of our users accept it!"

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By bringing EIG to the planning table, Birnbaum said, the utility learned quickly where customers would want to go in the system and how it might best flow. The ultimate test has been customer usage and their obvious acceptance of it.
   To other firms embarking on IVR enhancement or launch, Birnbaum recommends they focus on customer service and design.                                                
        While developers do a great job, they may not fully understand human dynamics," he said. Its important to go into IVR design with an open mind, look at how you think the IVR should work, listen to what people say about it and be flexible."
                                                            
The single most important dimension of the process is listening to customers, he insists.
   We thought we understood them but sometimes we dont. EIG helped us understand how customers would react and they were very forthright about sharing actual experiences."
   As for UtiliCorps next step in automated service, Birnbaum says they will continue to refine and improve their IVR -- based on customer response.

   Based in Kansas City, Missouri, UtiliCorp United is an international electric and gas company with energy customers and operations across the U.S. and in Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. As of September 30, 2001, UtiliCorp had total assets of $11.9 billion and 12-month sales of $42.3 billion. Additional information is available at www.utilicorp.com.

Enterprise Integration Group is the leading independent professional services firm specializing in interactive voice response (IVR) human factors design for both touchtone and speech recognition. EIG can be reached at 888-EIG-4-IVR or via e-mail at ivr@eiginc.com. The website is www.eiginc.com.