The Client. The Orlando Utilities Commission provides water and electricity to 230,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud, and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties in Florida.

The Challenge. The OUC needed to cut its internal expenses so it could keep utility rates stable. To help achieve this, it needed to:

The Solution. The OUC turned to Unify, the former Siemens Enterprise Communications, for a voice-enabled IVR platform that would support not only phone-based customer service, but also online interactions. The system included Unify’s OpenScape product, as well as its web collaboration and conferencing services.

The Result. The OUC has attained its dual goals of saving money and offering better customer service. For example, the OUC was able to close its in-person support centers, cutting down on overhead expenses. And on the internal side, applications for automated attendants, help desks and HR personnel are helping the commission run more smoothly.

On the customer-facing end, the OUC is experiencing a number of improvements. For instance, customers may use the IVR to manage their accounts or turn on services without the need for an OUC employee. Plus, Unify’s IVR supports Spanish speakers, in addition to English, further reducing the need for human intervention from the OUC.

And, the OUC now has voice-enabled apps that let users make payments, report outages, call in tree-trimming needs, conduct meter reading, and start, stop or move their service. To that last point, the OUC has seen an increased completion rate – rising from 54 percent to 65 percent – on its start, stop, move functions because of the speech-enabled IVR. On top of that, 60 percent of OUC customers are authenticated in the IVR system, which means the customer’s profile and account details pop up when calling in.

“We are giving our customers choice,” said Byron Knibbs, vice president of customer and sustainable services of Orlando Utilities. “No longer do they have to depend on us to call into a customer service call center. They can do everything they need online or through the IVR system.”