Luminus avoids pressure on contact center by using robot calls

Energy company Luminus supplies more than two million customers in our country with electricity, gas and various related services. Luminus provides those customers with a monthly advance payment bill; once a year, customers receive a final statement of account, as is usual in the industry.

Exceptional conditions on the energy market

"Over the last few months, we have seen the biggest price spikes ever on the energy market," says Sabine D'haen, Director Billing & Collections at Luminus. "That's why extra attention to the advance billing is really needed." Luminus has thus opted for dialogue with the customer. "We want to help our customers make sure that the amount of their monthly advance payment is in line with their consumption. We also give them tips on how to reduce their consumption." Luminus thereby wants to avoid customers getting an unpleasant surprise at the annual settlement.

One in five customers we contact with the robot call agrees to an adjustment to the monthly advance payment.

Sabine D'haen is Director Billing & Collections at Luminus

Automatic call

Advance billing is a good way to spread energy payments. Simultaneously, Luminus is encouraging customers to monitor their energy consumption more consciously. "We write to our customers about this either by email or letter," D'haen continued. "We have done that for some time, but with the sharp price increases, we want to help our customers to mitigate the impact even more. A quarter of customers took our advice to heart and amended the amount of the advance payment."

Robot call for additional communication

To encourage even more customers to take action, Luminus wanted to set up an extra communication channel. Eventually, the company turned to a robot call from Proximus. "We were already familiar with the principle as we use it to follow up on arrears. Customers also respond very positively to it. In the context of communication concerning advance billing, Proximus managed to implement the robot call very creatively, which no other party on the market could offer."

Sabine D'haen is Director Billing & Collections at Luminus

Robot calls give personalized advice

After intensive testing of the various communication channels available on the market today, we chose the robot call. Thanks to the robot call – an automated telephone call – Luminus manages to address a large group of customers personally in a short time. The system calls the customer and asks them to confirm their identity. "Then the robot explains what their current advance payment is and what the ideal advance payment should be to avoid any unpleasant surprises at the annual statement.

The customer can immediately confirm this and the new amount will already been included on the next advance bill." If the customer rejects the proposal, they receive information, in a fully automated manner via text message, on the impact of an unadjusted advance payment on the final invoice.

Positive customer feedback

Customers are responding remarkably positively to the robot call. "One-in-five customers we contact with the robot call agrees to adjust the advance payment," said D'haen. Customers thus avoiding a high final bill is also positive for Luminus. "By adjusting the amount of the advance payment and by spreading the payment, there are fewer defaults and less demand for repayment plans at the final settlement."

Frees up extra time for contact center staff

Using the robot call not only enhances overall customer satisfaction, but also that of Luminus employees. "The call is automated. It is not an extra job for the contact center staff." Even when the customer agrees to the adjusted advance payment, its processing is automated. This ensures superb efficiency.

Optimal use of the contact center

Customers that Luminus addresses through traditional channels - for instance by post - then contact the contact center as the next step to adjust the advance payment. Every customer who does the adjustment via the robot call automatically means one less call to the contact center. "This is important, as it allows optimal availability of the contact center for customers with other queries."