Flip the switch: What do customers want from their electric utility?
What do customers want from their electric utility? Customized interfaces, easy accessibility, great customer service, and simple pay options.
If Elon Musk had his way, you and everyone you know would already drive a Tesla. But what happens when everyone on your street comes home and plugs in their rides after work?
In today’s utility environment, we’d see daily brownouts. It would be nothing short of a miracle if just one driver’s electric car had enough charge to make it to the office in the morning. Utilities aren’t ready for the electric car future.
Some utility leaders are content in their belief that Musk’s dream is not the reality. But the truth is, some form of the electric vehicle dream is going to come true – and soon.
Globally, drivers purchased more than three million EVs in 2020, a 39% jump compared to the previous year, according to a report by Canalys. This growth continued even as car markets everywhere collapsed amid the pandemic.
The electric car future is coming fast
On top of that, the White House recently announced a US$15 billion investment in EV charging stations. This investment is part of a clean energy pledge that will see more EV chargers installed along roadways, in communities, and in public parking places throughout the United States.
With this, the administration isn’t just trying to support existing electric car owners – it hopes to bring more drivers into the EV fold.
Many utilities do understand, at least on a theoretical level, the seismic shift EVs represent. Still, they seem trapped in a business-as-usual mentality based on a world of energy and transportation that’s clearly disappearing into the rear-view mirror. In doing so, they’re missing out on opportunities fast presenting themselves.
President Biden’s EV-charging stations will do little good without the utility infrastructure and energy to meet what’s sure to be a massive growth in demand. Canalys estimates that electric cars will represent nearly half of all passenger cars sold by 2030.
Charging up: Utilities in an electric car future
To take full advantage of this opportunity, you’ll need to do more than just meet demand. You’ll also need to meet the expectations of consumer groups who can be hard to please – millennials and Gen Zers.
Picture this: Your customer wakes up, gets ready for work, hops in her car – and her electric car battery is dead. She spends the next half hour on the phone with your company.
While you may think at first that this is a problem for the car manufacturer to solve, your customer doesn’t feel the same. All she knows is that she needed to be on the road an hour ago. The line between utility and mobility problems is quickly beginning to blur.
3 ways experience management can make the utilities industry better
With experience management, utilities can use operational and experience data to deepen customer relationships, retain talent, and tap new revenue streams.
EVs and utilities: CX matters
The digital-native generations are tech savvy enough to know how to play the game. While your customer is on hold with you, she’s probably also chatting with customer service at Tesla, Ford, or any other manufacturers throwing themselves into the EV-charging ring. Or she could be browsing your competitors’ websites to view their rates and whether they provide alternative transportation during times like these.
IDC expects the percentage of EV-related customer inquiries at utility call centers to jump from 1.3% in 2020 to 14.8% in 2025. The question isn’t whether the utilities industry is ready. The question is whether your business is ready.
Already, customers are expecting more from your business than simply providing energy. Many utilities are rising to the challenge by offering these customers a better customer experience.
Multichannel support that doesn’t go offline when customers need it most is a must, and customers want competitive offerings and services that get them where they need to go despite service disruption.
Experts needed in the future of electric cars
Customers often look to their utility providers for advice on lowering their energy bills. Expect this to continue after they park an electric car in their driveway. While an EV manufacturer will offer ballpark figures regarding the cost to charge an EV, no one knows more about your customers’ energy use than you.
Begin a conversation now with customers about what they can expect to see on their energy bills after buying an EV. Help them understand your role in the installation of their at-home EV charging station.
Best case, customers will have questions for you before they bring home their electric car. But that can quickly turn into a worst-case scenario if you don’t have any answers. If a customer is already committed to the idea of getting an EV, they may simply walk away from your business and find another provider that knows, or at least appears know, more than you.
This expert knowledge is especially helpful when it comes to consulting with customers deploying an EV fleet at their business. The White House recently pledged to convert the federal vehicle fleet to EVs, and countless businesses including Amazon, AT&T, FedEx, and Ikea North America have done the same.
Innovative utilities are launching entire subsidiaries dedicated to powering fleet services. They’re helping schools, businesses, and municipalities find the right EV and manage that fleet to reduce costs. And they’re bringing on masses of new, loyal customers too.
Someday soon, your customers are going to cruise home in an EV. Prepare your business to meet their needs now, and bring on new customers in the process.
