From Fragmented Touchpoints to a Unified Customer Experience: Omnichannel Communications for Utilities & Municipalities
When the lights go out, bills spike, or customers need assistance, they expect quick, clear answers, on the channel that’s most convenient at that moment. For utilities and municipalities, that means your website, mobile app, chat, text message, email, IVR, and social channels must work together, not as silos.
The reality? Utility digital experiences are falling short. J.D. Power reports overall utility digital satisfaction at 594 on a 1,000-point scale, far behind other industries, noting that 28% of utilities still do not offer a mobile app despite apps scoring ~60 points higher in satisfaction than mobile web. [jdpower.com]
Customer behavior keeps shifting to digital-first. Over the past seven years, 35% of customers now use websites and 17% use mobile apps as their primary contact channels, yet many journeys still end in frustration and phone calls because channels aren’t connected. [jdpower.com]
At the same time, proactive, omnichannel communication works. Utilities that improved outreach and digital contact saw business customer satisfaction rise 30 points year-over-year, with communication up 37 points. [businesswire.com]
The Challenge: Fragmented Systems & Manual Communications
The stakes are rising, and fragmentation is costly. Customers expect seamless transitions between channels and utilities can’t afford to treat each as a stand-alone experience. Yet for many utilities and municipalities, communication still happens in silos:
Disconnected tools for phone, email, and web, no single view of the customer.
Manual logs and ad hoc outreach (letters, one‑off emails, call‑lists).
Limited channels (or channels that can’t “talk” to each other).
This creates friction at every step. Customers repeat themselves across channels, agents waste time searching for information, and organizations struggle to deliver timely updates during outages or affordability programs. The result? Higher customer effort, lower satisfaction, and increased cost-to-serve.
Defining Omnichannel (vs. Multichannel)
Omnichannel communication is a customer-centric strategy that integrates multiple communication channels into a single, seamless experience. This approach allows customers to move between channels, such as live chat, email, and phone, without losing context and having to repeat themselves. The goal is to provide a consistent and unified brand experience across all touchpoints, improving customer satisfaction and efficiency for both the customer and the business.
Key Characteristics
Integrated Experience: All channels are connected, creating a unified view of the customer journey.
Seamless Transitions: Customers can start an interaction on one channel (e.g., social media) and continue it on another (e.g., text message) without losing the history of the conversation.
Consistent Messaging: The brand voice and customer experience are the same regardless of the channel used.
Customer-Centric: The strategy is built around the customer's needs and preferences, rather than a single channel.
How it Differs from Multichannel
Multichannel: A company uses multiple channels, but they operate independently. The customer's interaction history is not carried over between channels.
Omnichannel: All channels are interconnected, providing a cohesive and continuous experience. A customer's journey is not fragmented across different platforms (voice, chat, email, SMS, social, in‑app, IVR, physical).
Contact Management and Communications, Unified in CIS
NorthStar’s CIS7 enables Omnichannel Communications, built on our Contact Management foundation and anchored in your Customer Information System (CIS). Our approach connects every channel to one customer record and journey.
All Communications in One Place: Every interaction, phone, email, live chat, SMS, social DMs, in‑app messages, letters, IVR, is captured to a single timeline with metadata (topic, event, program). CSR’s see context instantly; customers never have to repeat themselves.
One‑off & Automated Communications: Phone, SMS alerts, email campaigns, AI support agent, IVR, live chat, and more.
Outreach Campaigns: Build campaigns for outage alerts, affordability programs, seasonal safety, conservation, and paperless enrollment. Auto‑enroll eligible customers (opt‑in compliant) and use SMS + app + email orchestration to reduce inbound calls and improve enrollment
Workflow Inclusion with User Preferences: Honor channel preferences, accessibility needs, and language selections. Campaign logic routes messages to preferred channels first, minimizing customer effort and aligning with the omnichannel consistency customers expect across touchpoints.
Delivering Outcomes that Matter
Omnichannel isn’t a buzzword…it’s a commitment to customer‑centric journeys that reduce effort, increase trust, and modernize utility service. The evidence is clear: customers are digital first, expect consistency across channels, and reward proactive communication with higher satisfaction and retention. The utilities that close the omnichannel gap will win on both experience and efficiency.
✔ A Better Customer Experience: Omnichannel means customers never have to repeat themselves. Every interaction, across phone, email, chat, SMS, social, and IVR, carries context, reducing frustration and building trust.
✔ Faster Resolution, Lower Effort: Connected journeys allow agents to resolve issues quickly with full visibility, while customers move seamlessly between channels without starting over.
✔ Reduced Call Volume and Operational Costs: Proactive alerts, automated notifications, and self-service options deflect calls during outages and high-demand periods, saving time and resources.
✔ Increased Engagement and Program Adoption: Targeted, preference-based campaigns drive enrollment in paperless billing, affordability programs, and conservation initiatives, meeting customers where they are.
✔ Compliance and Transparency: Centralized communication records simplify audits and ensure proof of notice, while consistent messaging across channels strengthens credibility.
✔ Future-Ready Service: Pairing human agents with AI-powered support creates a modern, scalable contact center that improves efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Ready to transform your customer experience? Discover how NorthStar’s Omnichannel Communications and Contact Management unify your channels, data, and workflows directly in your CIS, creating the seamless experience your community expects.