dataVoice’s Voice over IP (VoIP) solution brings Interactive Voice Response (IVR), text-to-speech, and speech-recognition tools together to provide your customers the self-service options to simplify their lives and keep them better informed. Utilities can automate services to let customers access account information, make automated payments, or report a problem with their electric or other city service. In addition to these and other inbound IVR capabilities, utilities can use the outbound IVR to distribute notifications, such as automated callbacks, delinquent account reminders, and planned outage notifications. Our dVIVR Solution provides integrations to VoIP, digital, analog, or PRI/T-1 PBX systems.

The dataVoice IVR solution allows calls to be answered anytime, day or night, weekday or weekend. When agents are available, calls can be transferred to them. When they’re busy or off duty, the dataVoice system can provide up-to-the-second, accurate answers to customer questions. When agents are on duty, callers always have the option to leave the automated system and speak with an agent. Build the customer service system that matches your requirements and procedures using any of these available modules:

Outage Reporting and Notifications

• Automated Outage Reporting – Upon confirming the caller’s identity (through caller ID or caller input), the system checks the known outages, looks up the caller’s name and informs the caller of any known outages that may be affecting their location, “If you are calling regarding service at 101 West Main Street, we are aware that your power is out. Crews are in the process of repairing your service. Your estimated restore time is 2:30PM. If you would like to be notified when power has been restored, please press 1 now.” This unique capability effectively shortens calls, limits voice messages and increases call processing capacity. Customer receptivity is extremely high for this method handling calls.
• Notification of Power Restoration - The system automatically calls, emails or sends a text message to customers who requested a notification, verifies that their power has been restored and gives them the current time so they can set their clocks. If service has not been restored, they simply press one button to re-report the outage.
  Employee Notifications - Calls a list of selected internal employees, and delivers a message asking the employee if they are available to report to work. The system will record the employee’s response and let the operations department know which employees will be available.
• Planned Outage Notification – Sends notifications to customers prior to tree trimming or other maintenance to let them know they may experience brief interruptions in service during the time the maintenance is being performed.  Simply click on a location from the map, ask the system to generate a call list of all customers in that area or served by that device, the system will create the list and send the notifications to the IVR System.

Automated Customer Service Solutions

• Caller ID – A fast, secure way to identify who is calling and quickly retrieve the customer record. Customers don’t have to dig through old bills to find account numbers or trudge outside to find a meter number. Agents don’t have to waste time looking through a name list or typing in addresses.

• Account Inquiry – Provides answers on current balances, payments, budget billing, or drafted accounts. With a real-time billing system interface (for almost all systems), information is immediately updated and available to callers.
• Extension Requests – Can be automated to meet your decision criteria – past payment history, account status and other decision factors are evaluated before making a decision.
• Meter Reading Entry – Slashes costs and speeds cash flow. Entries are weighed against account history and current conditions for reasonability through the billing system.
• Delinquent Account Calling – Politely informs customers payments are past due. No more overtime for agents making evening calls. Always pleasant, never frustrated, the automated collection system calls during hours you specify. Call recipients can review account information during the call. Payment module (below) accepts online payment.
• Check and Credit/Debit Card Payments – Take the pressure off agents, eliminate “the check’s in the mail” excuse, and improve cash flow. If a customer has been called by the automated collection system, the caller has the option to review account history and pay online with a credit or debit card.
• Priority Account Call Handling – Uses caller ID or special identity to search a priority list. These calls bypass all calls on hold and route the call to an available agent, dispatcher or other designated employee. No more need for the “back line.”
• Critical Load Management – Lets contract users check day or night whether they should cut back usage to avoid increased charges. Detailed records are kept of users calls and load conditions at the time of the call.
• Service Order Inquiries – Can be automated to prevent wasting valuable agent time. Callers will hear the status and/or time service is to be performed.
• Call Out – Lets customers know about planned outages, tree trimming, and other activities that might affect their service. Forewarning eliminates many unnecessary customer calls.