Speed, flexibility, engagement, results: The REACH advantage

When an outage occurs, customers want to know what happened and what to expect next. For utilities, delivering that information quickly requires more than a reliable notification system. It requires the flexibility to respond to changing conditions, reach customers through their preferred channels and create opportunities for customers to engage directly.

For a leading electric utility in Southeastern Pennsylvania, improving outage communications meant finding a better way to deliver real-time information while also helping restoration teams respond more efficiently.

The utility turned to Convey’s REACH to modernize how it communicated with customers during outages.

The challenge: Outage communications were too slow and inflexible

The utility’s existing outage notification process relied on batch files from its outage management system (OMS).

Because those files were processed in batches, there could be a delay between an outage occurring and customers receiving an initial notification. During a critical event, even small delays can create uncertainty for customers and additional pressure on utility teams.

The utility also needed more flexibility in how it communicated.

Its existing approach limited messaging templates and delivery methods, making it harder to adapt communications to different outage scenarios. Customers also needed easier ways to confirm their outage status and stay connected as the situation evolved.

The utility identified several key priorities:

• Deliver outage notifications in real time
• Respond more quickly during critical events
• Provide greater flexibility in messaging and delivery
• Give customers more ways to interact with outage communications
• Support more efficient restoration operations

A faster approach to outage communications

To address these challenges, the utility partnered with Convey to enhance its REACH Preference Center.

The solution introduced a real-time interface designed to deliver initial outage notifications to customers immediately. Instead of waiting for batch OMS files to be processed, the utility could move toward a more responsive communication process.

That shift gave the utility a stronger foundation for communicating with customers as outage conditions changed.

More channels, more flexibility

Real-time delivery was only part of the solution. The utility also needed the ability to tailor communications based on customer preferences and the type of outage taking place.

REACH enabled the utility to orchestrate communications across voice, text and email, giving customers relevant alerts through the channels they had selected. The enhanced Preference Center also introduced high-fidelity text-to-speech capabilities, allowing the utility to create customized voice messages quickly.

Dynamic templates provided additional flexibility, helping the utility adapt communications to different scenarios without relying on a one-size-fits-all message.

The result was a more flexible approach to outage communications that could adapt to both the event and the customer.

Turning outage alerts into two-way engagement

Outage communications don’t have to be one-way. The utility added two-way messaging capabilities that allowed customers to confirm outages directly through their communications.

That became particularly important for isolated or “nested” outage events, where understanding whether customers were actually affected could help improve situational awareness.

Instead of simply sending information to customers, the utility could receive information back. This created an additional feedback loop between customers and the utility during an outage, supporting a more interactive communication experience.

From implementation to measurable impact

The enhanced REACH Preference Center successfully launched in December 2019, meeting the utility’s aggressive deployment goals and earning positive customer feedback.

The implementation delivered several important capabilities:

Real-time alert delivery
Real-time data integrations helped the utility deliver Initial Outage Notifications more quickly.

Multichannel communication
Voice, text and email could be coordinated based on customer preferences and outage type.

Flexible messaging
Dynamic templates and on-demand text-to-speech supported a broader range of communication scenarios.

Two-way engagement
Customers could respond to outage communications and confirm their outage status.

Stronger customer experience
The utility’s focus on more responsive and flexible communications contributed to positive customer feedback and ongoing customer satisfaction gains.

A more responsive model for outage communications

Modern outage communication requires utilities to balance speed with flexibility. Customers expect information quickly, but they also expect that information to be relevant to their situation and delivered through channels that work for them.

The REACH Preference Center helped this utility move toward that model by bringing together real-time alert delivery, multichannel communication, flexible messaging and two-way engagement.

The approach also supported the utility’s longer-term customer experience goals, with rising J.D. Power scores reflecting continued gains in customer satisfaction.

For utilities managing complex communications at scale, the lesson is straightforward: faster communication is only part of the equation. The ability to adapt, personalize and engage can be just as important.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Convey’s REACH?

REACH Preference Center is a customer communication solution that helps utilities manage outage communications across multiple channels based on customer preferences and outage conditions.

How does REACH help utilities send outage notifications faster?

The enhanced REACH Preference Center uses real-time data integrations to support immediate delivery of Initial Outage Notifications. This reduces the reliance on batch processing that can delay customer communications.

Which communication channels can REACH support?

In this case, the utility used REACH to coordinate voice, text and email communications based on customer preferences and outage type.

How does text-to-speech support outage communications?

High-fidelity text-to-speech allows utilities to create customized voice messages quickly. This gives communication teams greater flexibility when different outage scenarios require different messaging.

Can customers respond to outage notifications?

Yes. The enhanced REACH Preference Center included two-way messaging that allowed customers to confirm outages. This was particularly useful for isolated or nested outage events.

What are nested outage events?

Nested outage events can occur when an isolated outage exists within a larger outage area or when outage conditions affect customers differently within the same broader event. Two-way customer responses can provide additional information about who is actually experiencing an outage.

Why is multichannel communication important during outages?

Different customers have different communication preferences. Supporting voice, text and email allows utilities to provide outage information through the channels customers have selected, while also giving utilities flexibility based on the type of event.

How does flexible messaging help utilities?

Dynamic templates and on-demand text-to-speech allow utilities to adapt communications to different outage scenarios. This gives communication teams more options than relying on a fixed set of messages.

How can better outage communications affect the customer experience?

Faster, more relevant and interactive communications can give customers greater visibility into outage conditions and provide easier ways to engage with their utility. In this case, the utility saw ongoing customer satisfaction gains reflected in rising J.D. Power scores.