Providing Customer Service During a Global Pandemic

June 19, 2020 | , ::

0620-customer-service

The Coronavirus has changed the way the world does business, and the customer service departments in the utility industry have felt the impact. With mandatory disconnect moratoriums, record unemployment, and social distancing requirements, utilities are deemed an essential service and must find new ways to interact with customers. Some have enacted social distancing in their contact centers, some have moved agents to work-at-home, many have updated the IVR with new options and pay arrangements. This webinar will explore what the market is doing to enable customer service in the utility industry. It will also include insight from utilities such as BC Hydro, Entergy, SCE, and Washington Gas on what they have done to keep customer interaction at the forefront of providing essential services to consumers.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the various customer engagement tools in place and how they are being used in a pandemic
• Review how technology such as telephony platforms and customer information systems are being utilized
• Examine the financial and operational impact the coronavirus has had on the utility industry
• Highlight how engagement has been affected and how utilities are finding new ways to interact with their customers
• Discuss the pandemic related programs being deployed by utilities

Friday, June 19, 2020 – Central Time

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. :: Webinar Timing  

12:45 – 1:00 p.m. :: Log On and Sound Check

1:00 – 1:10 p.m. :: Overview & Logistics

1:10 – 1:30 p.m. :: Overview of the Pandemic on the Utility Industry

• Financial impact
• Operational impact
• Customer engagement

Brad Kitchin, Vice President, Customer Solutions, Oracle

1:30 – 1:50 p.m. :: Consumer Engagement Tools in Use Today and How They are Used in a Pandemic

• Telephony platforms
• Consumer engagement
• Pandemic-related programs
• Customer information systems

Jon T. Brock, Senior Director, Americas, ISG

1:50 – 2:00 p.m. :: Short Break

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. :: Utility Panel Discussion with Entergy, BC Hydro, Southern California Edison, and Washington Gas.

This interactive panel discussion will consist of four utility executives sharing their experience with customer engagement during this pandemic. In this session, utility panelists will respond to audience inquiries on how they are providing customer service beyond the normal channels. The topics for discussion include:

• Overview of consumer engagement
• Pandemic-related programs
• How they are handling customers during the pandemic

Moderator:

Jon T. Brock, Senior Director, Americas, ISG

Panelists:

Phil Sharp, Director, Customer Service Delivery, Entergy

Daren Sanders, Director, Contact Centre and Billing Operations, BC Hydro

Johanna Pyles, Director, Customer Contact Center, Southern California Edison

Anthony Murdock, Director, Customer Billing and Revenue Assurance, Washington Gas

3:00 p.m. ::  Webinar Conclusion

Brad Kitchin, Vice President, Customer Solutions

Brad Kitchin has been involved in the Utilities industry for more than 30 years, firstly working in the gas and electric industry in Customer Management, Sales, IT strategy and Project Management of large scale software implementation projects.  For the last 25 years he has been selling and delivering CIS software in the Utilities industry to energy companies in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North and South America.  He has a broad basis of experience in the sales and delivery of software around the customer experience.  As Group Vice President, Oracle Utilities, Brad is responsible for Customer Technology sales in the Americas.  

Jon T. Brock, Senior Director, Americas, ISG

Mr. Brock is an internationally recognized expert on best practices in utility business process and technology, with extensive experience in helping top global companies redefine themselves. His expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, including benchmarking, strategic sourcing, regulatory/testimony, billing/back-office, consumer engagement and the contact center.

Phil Sharp, Director, Customer Service Delivery, Entergy

Phil is responsible for Entergy’s Contact Centers and channel operations. Bringing more than 33 years of utility experience, he is a strategic, results oriented, collaborative, proven leader with strong business acumen, valued for his ability to achieve results with mission critical projects through vision, leadership, creativity, and strong relationships.

Daren Sanders, Director, Contact Centre and Billing Operations, BC Hydro

Daren is responsible for BC Hydro’s contact centres and billing operations. An experienced utility customer service executive, he is also the Board Chair of BC One Call Ltd, and a Board Member of the better Business Bureau Mainland B.C.

Johanna Pyles, Director, Customer Contact Center, Southern California Edison

Johanna is responsible for SCE’s customer contact center operations. With more than 30 years of utility experience, she has been a leader in Customer Service, IT, Nuclear Operations, and major projects. Her experience includes customer service, strategic planning, and management, technology leadership, program management, organizational change management, software development, process improvement, and nuclear industry processes.

Anthony Murdock, Director, Customer Billing and Revenue Assurance, Washington Gas

Anthony is responsible for Washington Gas’ billing and credit & collection operations. Previously responsible for the contact center operations, Anthony is a tenured professional delivering high-level business solutions by creating and fostering a customer-centric culture within the company.

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Providing Customer Service During a Global Pandemic

June 19, 2020 | Online

Buy 4 in-person seats and only pay for 3! For this event every fourth in-person attendee is free!

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before December 31, 1969 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

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