Day in the life of a customer service rep in a smart grid world

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By Louis Szablya

As we move closer to a smarter grid, it becomes apparent that its innovative systems and technologies will touch nearly every position in a utility.  In the first two articles of this four-part “Day in the Life” series we explored how the jobs of a lineman and an engineer might benefit from the new capabilities of the smart grid.  Today we look at a how a customer service representative’s (CSR’s) job might be affected.

CSRs are on the front line with the utility customers.  Many existing systems provide CSRs with as much data as possible, but a monthly report cannot provide much information.

8:00 a.m.  A flood of calls just came in and many others are registering on the interactive voice response system.  An alert appears on the CSR’s screen stating that there has been a mid-line recloser operation and that 1,500 customers are impacted.  “Yes. We are aware of your outage and are working to restore it,” the CSR tells the customer. “The system will automatically restore power to all the customers that it possibly can.”

8:02 a.m. While the customer is still on the phone, another message scrolls across the screen stating that the automatic reconfiguration is complete and power has been restored to all but 200 customers.  The customer on the phone has their power restored, and the CSR sees the customer’s status change on the screen. 

“Wow, that was quick,” the customer says.  The CSR explains that the new automatic fault detection, isolation, and restoration system was able to reconfigure the system and restore the power, minimizing the outage duration in most of the affected area.

8:15 a.m.  “I am sorry that your power is out,” says the CSR to another customer a few calls later. “We have a line crew at the scene investigating what happened and how long it will take to repair.  If you’d like, I can add your cell phone to our text message or voice outage update system, so you will receive informational messages regarding the status of your outage.  All I need is your cell phone number and permission to send you these updates.  You can turn off updates at anytime online or through your phone.”  The customer accepts the offer and thanks the CSR for her help.

10:15 a.m.  An alert notifies the CSR that all customers now have had their power restored.

1:00 p.m.  The CSR receives a call from an irate customer who thinks his new smart meter has caused his bill to double.  “Let me take a look at your account,” says the CSR.  “It looks like you have quite a bit of energy consumption right now.  Are you at home?”  The customer is at home and assures the CSR that nothing is turned on.  The CSR asks if they are on a well to which the customer answers “why yes.”  The CSR suggests the customer check their well pump.  Coached by the CSR the customer identifies that the pump is running but the water pressure stays below the normal range.  The CSR urges the customer to have someone check for a leak.  The customer comments with appreciation that perhaps that is why it is damp next to the driveway in this dry weather.

3:05 p.m.  The CSR receives a message identifying a group of customers who will have a planned power outage.  One of the accounts is tagged as having electric powered medical equipment and has not renewed a subscription for text or voice alerts.  The CSR calls the customer and determines that the customer is at home and is able to operate on her backup supply for up to 1½ hours.  The CSR notifies the line crew that they need to ensure that the outage does not last more than 1 hour, and if it approaches 1½ hours, they must check in with the customer and offer her a portable generator.  The crew loads an extra generator on the truck and heads to the site.

This new smart grid world will provide CSRs with never-before-seen information.  The customers’ records will no longer be limited to 12 meter reads per year and about 12 payments per year.  The volume, accuracy and timeliness of information will allow CSRs to help customers solve problems.

Louis Szablya is a director of smart grid integration with SAIC, where he helps clients identify and resolve integration issues that arise as Smart Grid technologies are adopted.

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