ATLANTA, May 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Interactive, Inc. (AI) announced today the extraordinary results utilities are achieving using their ENVOY proactive messaging platform. The platform’s communication channels include personalized video bill explanations, text, and email messages that inform customers of payment options, financial assistance programs, low and no-cost ways to save, and rate options. The information captivating is that each message is composed using the customer’s billing history and AMI data, making them personal and relevant to every household. During the COVID-19 crisis, this communications strategy shows customers the utility cares, is helping them reduce energy costs, and lessening their financial burden.
Apogee uses its sophisticated energy modeling capabilities to craft individual messages that resonate with each recipient. Sending millions of personalized messages over the past five years has produced a robust dataset of remarkable customer reactions:
- Ninety-seven percent of customers rate the information as highly or somewhat Useful.
- Click-thru rates have been 20 times higher than the industry standard,
- Net Promoter Scores have jumped to 39 from the utility industry average of 15.
Utilities using proactive messaging are reaping numerous rewards during this crisis. One major Midwest IOU using this digital strategy documented a 15 percent reduction in calls to the call center.
Apogee's Engagement Manager, Elizabeth Burroughs, shared, "Apogee takes a proactive approach to communications, and we recognize that this will be a long-term effort." She continued, "We provide utilities a four to six-month communication plan around COVID-19 messaging configured to the utility's needs."
A recent survey by Apogee revealed that the biggest challenge faced by utilities is communicating with customers, followed by the need to assist customers financially. During these challenging times, utilities are using this unique opportunity to foster goodwill with customers and building stronger relationships by providing relevant, useful, and consistent information through digital channels. Their investments in helping customers now will pay off as we take the first steps on the road to recovery.
Apogee Institute recently gave a compelling presentation on COVID-19. You can view the presentation “How COVID-19 is Impacting the Utility Industry.” in its entirety here.
About Apogee Interactive, Inc. Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned business and one of the nation's leading full-service provider of proactive customer engagement SaaS services for utilities. As a partner with the utility industry since 1993, Apogee's digital engagement platform delivers targeted, relevant, and personalized communication for hundreds of North American utilities, including some of the largest and most progressive, such as Southern Company, ConEd, LADWP, Exelon, Xcel, CenterPoint, and Jackson EMC. For more information, visit www.apogee.net or on LinkedIn.
Contact: Karen Morris kmorris@apogee.net or 678-684-6801