When every minute counts: Mastering outage management today

Utilities face mounting pressure to maintain reliable service amid extreme weather events, wildfires, and aging infrastructure challenges. With an 83% increase in weather-related outages (U.S. Department of Energy) and 65% of customers frustrated by impersonal utility communications (J.D. Power 2023), the stakes for effective crisis management have never been higher, facing the risk of eroding customer trust and operational efficiency if they opt not to transform their strategies across all touchpoints. 

Crisis in action and what can be done to prevent it?

Take the 2021 Texas winter storm that exposed critical gaps in utility communication systems. 4.5 million customers were left without power and updates; residents faced dangerous uncertainty about outage durations and restoration efforts. What could have been done: 

• Proactive multi-channel alerts: Automated SMS, email, and mobile app notifications with geographic-specific updates to replace unreliable “Google it” advisories. 

• Real-time outage mapping: Interactive dashboards to provide accurate restoration ETAs, reducing panic from conflicting reports. 

• Two-way communication channels: Real-time outage reporting via SMS/web to divert call center traffic. 

• Dynamic resource allocation: Integration with field crew operational systems to help prioritize vulnerable populations (e.g., hospitals, elderly communities). 

Utilities need to rebuild trust during these crises moments, and replace fragmented communication with real-time, unified systems that prioritize customer safety and operational efficiency. 

Creating operational agility 

It is due to these types of events that Message Broadcast set to design a solution such as Conversations.  

Conversations by Message Broadcast, now Convey, redefines utility customer response by merging speed with precision. The platform’s no-code capabilities enable teams to create templated workflows easily and deploy them omni-channel quickly when they are needed. This is critical during rapidly evolving events like wildfires or hurricanes.  

AI-Driven Innovation  

While maintaining core functionality, Conversations is continually evolving including advanced capabilities with additional AI integration: 

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Understands complex customer queries in real time 

• Multilingual Support: Breaks language barriers for diverse communities 

• Machine Learning Optimization: Continuously improves response accuracy 

Building trust through hyper-personalized, real-time engagement 

The traditional one-size-fits-all messaging costs utilities $8.50 per failed interaction. The demand for hyper-personalized, proactive communication requires a frequency of interactions that demands a new level of customer care that traditional methods can’t do alone. Conversations’ customer-centric architecture fosters trust and counters this issue with its two-way dialogue and preferred channel alerts, as well as self-service capabilities. Enabling personalized communication at scale. 

With its unlimited scalability, Conversations also ensures that utilities can maintain this level of personalized, real-time communication even during large-scale events, transforming crisis management and customer engagement in the utility industry. 

Conversations by Message Broadcast, now Convey: A modern solution

Message Broadcast’s, now Convey’s, Conversations, designed for utilities, to empower them with seamless customer dialogue at scale. Allowing utilities with proactive outreach to crisis management. 

Key features include: 

• Real-time communication with multiple AI-driven conversations 

• Omnichannel integration (SMS, web chat, mobile apps, social media) 

• No-code workflow creation and automation for rapid deployment 

• Scalable infrastructure tested to handle millions of simultaneous interactions 

Multi-channel coordination with Conversations 

Conversations enables utilities to engage with customers through their preferred communication methods: 

• Virtual chat for real-time customer support 

• SMS for instant notifications and updates 

• Social media coordination for broader reach  

• Mobile app notifications for on-the-go updates 

This approach ensures consistent messaging across all touchpoints, enhancing communication effectiveness during both routine operations and crisis situations. 

Why choose Conversations by Message Broadcast, now Convey?

• Expertise in Utility Communication: Built specifically for utilities’ unique challenges. 

• Improving Results: A reduction in call volume and increased CSAT scores. 

• Unlimited Scalability: No restrictions on workflow numbers. 

• Quick Setup: No coding required to build custom solutions. 

• Seamless Integration: Connects with existing software stacks and systems. 

• AI-Powered Efficiency: Automates processes and delivers personalized interactions. 

Non-negotiable modernization

In this high-stakes environment, utilities are realizing that generic, one-size-fits-all messaging is not just ineffective—it’s dangerous and costly.  

The 2021 Texas winter storm demonstrated how outdated communication systems can leave millions of customers in the dark, both literally and figuratively.  

By combining scalable infrastructure with intelligent automation through solutions such as Conversations, utilities can now manage crisis communications more effectively, ensuring customers stay informed and connected throughout any outage, planned or unplanned: 

Preventing crisis escalation: 

• Proactive, multi-channel alerts to provide targeted and customer-specific updates. Replacing the “Google it” advisories and social media-only information pools
• Real-time outage updates, and links to visual maps and dashboards to offer restoration ETAs, reducing panic from conflicting reports
• Two-way workflow, automated, communications divert up to 60% of call center traffic

Optimizing resources:

• Creating dynamic resource allocation 
• Integrating field crew systems for better management of resources, to serve vulnerable population first 
• Workflows that streamline operations, saving millions annually 

Future-proofing operations:

• Unlimited scalability allows utilities to handle millions of daily interactions within one solution 
• No-code capabilities for ease of use, template creation and quick deployment during a crisis 
• Third-party and legacy integration for quick implementation that is unified and less disruptive to operations.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Grid Modernization Initiative (GMI). Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/gmi/grid-modernization-initiative

• J.D. Power. (2023). Utilities Industry Insights. Retrieved from https://www.jdpower.com/business/utilities

• Platoff, E., & Douglas, E. (2021, February 19). Texas officials promised the power would stay on during the winter storm. It didn’t. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/texas-emergency-communication-power-outages/

• J.D. Power. (2024). 2024 U.S. Utility Digital Experience Study. Retrieved from https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-utility-digital-experience-study