Powering customer relationships with omnichannel: How energy providers meet demand

The energy sector faces challenges from rising inflation, environmental concerns and customer budget constraints, alongside increasing customer expectations for support services. To thrive in this competitive landscape, energy companies must prioritize customer experience (CX) as a key differentiator.

In the energy sector, customers use multiple channels, such as phone, email, live chat and self-service portals to address issues like service outages, billing inquiries and meter concerns.

Each interaction is a critical moment that can either build or diminish customer loyalty, depending on the quality of the experience. Every touchpoint presents a chance for energy providers to reinforce their brand's reputation or, conversely, risk alienating customers through poor customer service.

The question then becomes: how can energy companies enhance these channels to foster stronger, more enduring customer relationships?

The answer lies in making support interactions as seamless, efficient and satisfying as possible. Advanced analysis shows that brands providing easy-to-use, responsive support across key channels significantly elevate the overall customer experience.

By focusing on the continuous improvement of high-traffic channels like phone support—where convenience and ease of use are particularly critical—energy providers can meet customer expectations more effectively.

These improvements lead to increased satisfaction, deeper loyalty and a stronger brand perception in a competitive market. The brands that succeed are those that recognize the importance of every interaction and are proactive in refining their support strategies to meet evolving customer needs.

Based on research conducted by bespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch in August 2024, this article draws on insights from 1,000 consumers in the US and Canada to establish how energy companies are using omnichannel to enhance brand perceptions and overall CX, and the success it has driven for them.

How an exceptional support experience shapes brand perception

Nearly one in three customers see their energy provider as a leading brand. The most recent support experience plays a crucial role in shaping brand perception and loyalty.

When customers receive an exceptional service, their view of the brand improves significantly, reinforcing loyalty. Contrary to previous assumptions, customers don’t evaluate their entire experience equally—they use their most recent interaction as the key measure of a brand’s value.

Phone: The most accessed channel for energy customers

Energy customers have several options for contacting support, yet more than half prefer using the phone over other channels.

This strong preference highlights the critical need to enhance the customer experience on this channel. Optimizing phone support isn’t just about resolving issues quickly – it’s about delivering a personalized, efficient and seamless interaction. By investing in improving phone support, energy providers can significantly boost customer satisfaction, build loyalty and differentiate themselves in a competitive market where the quality of service often determines brand preference.

How customer satisfaction differs based on the channel used

Although the phone is the most frequently used channel for energy customers seeking support, only a quarter reported receiving satisfactory service through it. This gap between usage and satisfaction highlights a critical matter – despite customers preferring phone support for its immediacy and personal touch, many are left frustrated due to inefficiencies that will be discussed later in this report. Improving the quality of phone interactions is essential for energy providers, as consistently positive experiences on this key channel can drive customer loyalty and significantly impact overall brand perception.

Top brands struggle to provide an exceptional support experience across all channels

While it’s often assumed that leading brands fostering strong customer relationships provide exceptional support across all channels, our study reveals a different reality. Even top brands have significant room for improvement, as the gap in support quality between them and failing brands is narrower than expected. This finding suggests that no matter how well-established a brand is, there are still opportunities to enhance the customer experience and stand out in a competitive market.

A Key Factor: Effort required to use a channel

Convenience in using support channels is crucial for energy customers, as the effort and time required to reach assistance or access self-help tools directly affect their satisfaction and overall perception of the brand. Despite being the most frequently used support channel, phone support scores the lowest in ease of use. This underscores the need for a faster, simpler and more intuitive experience to prevent customer fatigue and frustration. Enhancing phone support efficiency is essential for improving customer satisfaction and ensuring long-term brand loyalty.

How to minimize customer effort on phone

Ease of use goes beyond simply reducing wait times. While shorter wait times are important, other factors – such as clear and easy-to-understand communication, compassionate agents and avoiding repetitive information requests – are equally vital for creating an exceptional phone support experience. However, less than half of energy customers reported that these key elements were met when contacting support via phone. This highlights the need for energy providers to improve not just response times, but the overall quality of interactions to better meet customer expectations and enhance satisfaction.

Conclusion

The landscape of customer support in the energy sector reveals significant opportunities for improvement, particularly regarding the phone channel, which remains the most frequently used by customers. While brands strive to cultivate strong relationships and deliver exceptional support experiences, many fall short in key areas such as wait times, communication clarity, agent compassion and minimizing repetitive requests. With less than half of customers reporting satisfaction in these critical aspects, energy providers must prioritize enhancing the overall support experience. By focusing on streamlining processes and improving interaction quality, companies can boost customer satisfaction, strengthen brand loyalty and ultimately differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

Addressing these gaps not only fosters deeper connections with customers but also reinforces a brand's reputation as a reliable and customer-centric provider.

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